Lycaena


Lycaena is a genus of butterflies. The genus range is Holarctic, with the exception of four species found in New Zealand, two in South Africa, one in New Guinea and one in Java. It is commonly divided into several subgenera, such as Antipodolycaena. Many formerly independent genera are now subsumed within Lycaena; the genus Gaiedes may also belong here. Many of the subgenera, species groups and species listed here may be synonyms.

Species

Listed alphabetically within groups:

Subgenus Tharsalea Scudder, 1876:
  • Lycaena arota – tailed copper
Subgenus Chalceria Scudder, 1876:

The thaeides species group:
The chalceria species group:
  • Lycaena ferrisi Johnson & Balogh, 1977 – Ferris' copper Arizona
  • Lycaena heteronea Boisduval, 1858 – blue copper
  • Lycaena rubidus – ruddy copper
Subgenus Epidemia Scudder, 1876:

The hyllolycaena species group:
  • Lycaena hyllus – bronze copper
The epidemia species group:
  • Lycaena dorcas Kirby, 1837 – dorcas copper or cinquefoil copper
  • Lycaena dospassosi McDunnough, 1940
  • Lycaena epixanthe – bog copper, cranberry-bog copper
  • Lycaena helloides – purplish copper
  • Lycaena nivalis – nivalis copper
  • Lycaena mariposa – mariposa copper
Subgenus Hermelycaena Miller & Brown, 1979:
  • Lycaena hermes – Hermes copper
Subgenus Antipodolycaena Smart, 1975:
  • Lycaena boldenarum White, 1862 New Zealand
  • Lycaena feredayi – glade copper
  • Lycaena rauparaha New Zealand
  • Lycaena salustius – common copper
Unnamed subgenus:

The heodes species group:
  • Lycaena ottomanus – Grecian copper
  • Lycaena tityrus – sooty copper
  • Lycaena virgaureae – scarce copper
The palaeochrysophanus species group:
Subgenus Lycaena Fabricius, 1807:

The helle species group:
  • Lycaena helle – violet copper
  • Lycaena irmae Bailey, 1932 South Tibet
  • Lycaena li West China
  • Lycaena ouang Yunnan
  • Lycaena pang West China, Tibet
  • Lycaena svenhedini China
  • Lycaena tseng North Burma to West China
The phlaeas species group:
  • Lycaena cupreus – lustrous copper
  • Lycaena kiyokoae Sakai, 1978 Afghanistan
  • Lycaena phlaeas – small copper, common copper, American copper
  • Lycaena sichuanica Bozano & Weidenhoffer, 2001
The thersamolycaena species group:
The thersamonia species group:
  • Lycaena aditya West Pamirs, Afghanistan, Pakistan, North India
  • Lycaena alaica Pamirs-Alai, Gissar Range, North east Afghanistan
  • Lycaena alpherakyi East Pamirs, Northwest China
  • Lycaena attila Zaalaisky Mountains Central Asia
  • Lycaena asabinus Turkey, Transcaucasia, Iran, Armenia
  • Lycaena hyrcana North Iran to Central Asia
  • Lycaena kurdistanica Armenia, Northeast Turkey, West Iran
  • Lycaena lampon Lederer, Kopet-Dagh, Southeast Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan
  • Lycaena ochimus Transcaucasia, Armenia, Caucasus Minor, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Talysh Mountains
  • Lycaena phoebus – Moroccan copper Morocco
  • Lycaena solskyi Erschoff, 1874 Pamirs to Alay Mountains, Gissar Range, Darvaz Range, Tian-Shan, Kashmir, Samarkand
  • Lycaena thersamon – lesser fiery copper
  • Lycaena thetis Klug, 1834 – fiery copper or golden copper
The phoenicurusia species group:
  • Lycaena margelanica South Tajikistan to Tien-Shan, Gissar Range, Darvaz, Alay, West Pamir, Babatag, Karatau, Teriklitau, Rangontau, Zailiisky Alatau, Lake Issyk-Kul mountains
The hyrcanana species group:
  • Lycaena caspius Kopet-Dagh, Gissar Range, North Iran, Afghanistan
  • Lycaena ophion Hemming, 1933 Kopet-Dagh, Gissar Range to Darvaz Tadzhikistan
  • Lycaena pamira
  • Lycaena sartha Gissar Range to Darvaz, Pamirs to Alay mountains, Northeast Afghanistan
  • Lycaena sultan West Gissar Range
Unknown species group:
  • Lycaena bathinia Snellen, 1899 dubious Java
  • Lycaena clarki Dickson, 1971 – eastern sorrel copper
  • Lycaena evansii Kashmir, Chitral
  • Lycaena kasyapa – green copper
  • Lycaena orus – western sorrel copper
  • Lycaena ottomanus
  • Lycaena pallida Miskin, 1891 New Guinea
  • Lycaena panava
  • Lycaena pavana – white-bordered copper North India
  • Lycaena standfussi West China, Tibet
  • Lycaena susanus Baluchistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan
  • Lycaena tama New Zealand
  • Lycaena tityrus Poda, 1761 – sooty copper
  • Lycaena virgaureae – scarce copper
  • Lycaena zariaspa West Himalayas, Kashmir, Northwest India