Grassland Copper showing upper wing. Moonlight Flat, Castlemaine.
Photo: Euan Moore
Grassland Copper showing under wing. Moonlight Flat, Castlemaine.
Photos: Euan Moore
Scientific Name: Lucia limbaria
Other Common Names: Chequered Copper, Small Copper, Common Copper
Family of Butterflies: Lycaenidae (Blues and Coppers)
Wingspan: 23mm male, 25mm female.
Museum specimens.
Photo: Tony Morton
Note 1: The male occurs on the top row and the female on the bottom row.
Note 2: The plant name refer to the primary plant upon which the butterfly larvae (caterpillars) feed.
Local records: There are two museum records from Castlemaine and a third from Maldon. Recent records are from Moonlight Flat, Newstead and Muckleford. ref: iNaturalist and Atlas of Living Australia.
| Tony Morton’s records of Grassland Copper from the local area (between 2000 to 2013): | ||
|---|---|---|
| Date | Location | Notes |
| 6-Mar-2011 | Vaughan walk | 1 fresh female |
| 1-Mar-2007 | Forest Creek | solitary |
| 23-Oct-2006 | Vaughan walk | one male |
| 14-Nov-2005 | Vaughan walk | still fresh |
| 1-Nov-2005 | Vaughan walk | plentiful outside side gate in truck tracks on prostrate yellow flowering ? Oxalis. Also along walk |
| 17-Oct-2005 | Vaughan walk | |
| 19-Nov-2003 | nature strip Vaughan | on everlastings |
| 28-Feb-2001 | Fryer’s Forest, Village Green |
Distribution outside our region: Most documented Victorian observations of this species are from the Melbourne area and the northern plains. Outside Victoria this species occurs in eastern NSW, south-eastern Queensland and the Adelaide area of South Australia. ref: iNaturalist and Atlas of Living Australia.
Larval Host Plants: Yellow Wood-sorrels (Oxalis perennans and O. exilis)
Laval association with ants: The larvae are attended by small black ants from Iridomyrmex genus (Field 2013)
Adult Flight Times in Victoria: It is likely that there are two generations each year, with one in spring and a more numerous one in late summer. Peak in Victoria records from January to March, but some observations from September to April.
Conservation Status:
- The Action plan for Australian Butterflies: No Conservation Significance
Other Notes: Probably moderately common in the Mount Alexander region where there is suitable grassland habitat.
References and further reading:
Atlas of Living Australia – Lucia limbaria, Grassland Copper
iNaturalist – Lucia limbaria, Grassland Copper
Braby, Michael F., Second edition 2016. The Complete Field Guide to Butterflies of Australia. CSIRO Publishing.
Field, Ross P., 2013. Butterflies: Identification and Life History. Museum Victoria