American Copper (Lycaena phlaeas). A butterfly that I seldom see. And yet the Massachusetts Butterfly Club describes its distribution in that state as, “One of our most ubiquitous butterflies.” Looking at a distribution map of this butterfly in North America I see it can be found from Nova Scotia south to Georgia, Tennessee, Arkansas; and west across the Great Lake states to North Dakota. And indeed its population is much more dense in New England. I was fortunate a bit ago to find one basking in the sun on the leaf of a Sunflower at my cabin and I was able to capture it in a photo.
The American Copper is a small butterfly with a wingspan of just a smidgeon over an inch. Its caterpillar eats plants such as Sheep’s Sorrel, Common Sorrel and Curly Dock. The adult butterfly feeds on the nectar of Buttercup, Goldenrod, Clover, Butterfly Weed, and Yarrow. The lifespan of this butterfly is a very short two weeks.
I am always on the alert for turtles in the road and if conditions allow, I’ll stop and help the critter, usually a box turtle, cross safely. A few days ago as I drove up my mountain, along the twisty, steep, gravel road, I spotted something. Certainly not a turtle, but something I don’t recall ever stopping for in the past. Something that I never would have guessed I’d see from the driver’s seat of my truck. A HUGE caterpillar. My surprise only increased as I approached the caterpillar and saw what it looked like. Certainly he was a Chinese dragon all set for a New Year’s parade.
An aqua color of 1950s cars, with accents of bright, rich orange, and black. Regularly spaced black spikes along his body segments and much larger spiked horns/antlers of orange, tipped with black near his head. Yes, that looks like a Chinese dragon to me.
In reality though this critter is a Hickory Horned Devil Caterpillar, the larva of the Regal Moth, Citheronia regalis. In addition to his interesting color scheme, this guy is incredibly large. Think the size of a large hot dog. But it is a caterpillar that you don’t need to be frightened of. He will cause you no harm. If you see one, treat him with care, and guide him to a spot of soft dirt where he can achieve his goal of burrowing, where he will pupate over the winter.
Spiked horns on two segments above his head (his head is the little orange, button-like thing at the very right), bright, rich orange, and shiny black.
In this stage of his life he has been eating. Chomping down on the leaves of hickory, ash, persimmon, sweetgum, sycamore and walnut. No wonder he made his home here. This is what many of the trees in my woods are. No need to be concerned about what he is eating. There are not enough of these guys to be a concern and for the most part are not considered a pest. The Hickory Horned Devil is native to the eastern US from New Jersey to Missouri and on southward to east Texas and central Florida.
The Regal Moth will emerge from the ground as an adult in late June or early July. As an adult he will not eat, and will live about one week.
He will reach a wingspan of up to six inches. Looking like a cuddly, furry, off white and orange Teddy bear, he will be in search of a mate. Eggs hatch in six to ten days. The larval stage, the Hickory Horned Devil Caterpillar, lives for about 35 days.
Rather than open meadows, which butterflies often prefer, the Northern Pearly Eye, Enodia anthedon, choses to flutter about in the woods, whether shady or with sun filtering through.
Fluttering by, feeling the need to rest, he’ll land upside-down to view his world.
His caterpillar hosts are various species of grasses, grasses which are happy living on the forest floor.
As an adult he dines on dung, mud, fungi, rotting fruit, carrion, and sap from willows, poplars, and birch.
A clever little guy, with an average wingspan of a bit more than 2 inches, this butterfly knows just where to land as I stalk him with my camera. He checks out the available landing spots and if it’s available he’ll chose a patch of poison ivy, just out of reach, as a safe haven.
