Bog Copper
Lycaena epixanthe
The Bog Copper is the smallest Copper found in Wisconsin. It is found exclusively in bogs where wild cranberry, its host plant grows. It is a very weak flier and typically flies very low to the ground in the wettest parts of the bog.
Notice that the butterflies in the photos are fairly worn and lack the bright colors that more recently emerged individuals would have.

Weekly sightings for Bog Copper
Identifying characteristics
The male is brown above, with a purplish sheen on fresh specimens, a larger spot in the middle of the upper wing, and several smaller spots. The female has many more spots, and the spots are usually all similar in size. Below, the ground color is pale, with a reddish submarginal zigzag pattern on the hind wing.
Similar species
The Purplish Copper and the Dorcas Copper are very similar to the Bog Copper. They are best distinguished by viewing the upper wings of the Bog Copper, which has far fewer spots than either the Purplish or the Dorcas Coppers. It is also somewhat smaller, but this is difficult to tell in the field. The ground color below of the Bog Copper is somewhat variable, but is lacking in the orange tinge that is usually present, at least on the front wing, on Purplish and Dorcas Coppers.
Habitat
Acid bogs where cranberries are present.
Flight
One brood from the end of June through July.
Abundance
Found in scattered locations throughout northern Wisconsin. This species, like many species that are limited to a very specific habitat, may become abundant where it is found.
Early Bog Copper Sightings
Date | County | Reported by |
---|---|---|
Jun 13, 2012 | Marathon | Mary Backus |
Jun 18, 2016 | Jackson | Scott and Ann Swengel |
Jun 18, 2006 | Taylor | Kyle E. Johnson |
Jun 20, 2012 | Marathon | Mary Backus |
Jun 20, 2010 | Wood | Ron Arnold |
Locations



2 miles east of N. Settlement Rd., Jackson County Forest, Jackson Co., WI, July 16, 2004