Low-elevation-specialist
Guides
Lycaena xanthoides
great copper
Lycaena xanthoides, the great copper, is a butterfly species in the family Lycaenidae found in North America. The species has experienced significant regional population declines in California, with documented disappearance from low-elevation sites between Chico and Stockton by 2005. Research indicates it is among multiple butterfly species declining due to climate change and pesticide exposure, particularly neonicotinoids.