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Lycaena candens / Balkan Copper
Flakëroshja e Ballkanit
Lycaenidae - Lycaeninae
Lycaena candens (Herrich-Schäffer, [1844]). TL: Turkey.
 
 
 
1a. Lycaena candens, distribution map.  Historical data ;  Additional data from the 2018 update ;  New observations since the 2018 update.
1b. Lycaena candens ♂ upperside. North of Mali i Korabit, Albania (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1c. Lycaena candens ♀ upperside. North of Mali i Korabit, Albania (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1d. Lycaena candens ♀ upperside with blue scaling. Theti to Valbonë (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1e. Lycaena candens ♂ lateral. North of Mali i Korabit, Albania (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1f. Lycaena candens ♂ underside. North of Mali i Korabit, Albania (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1g. Habitat of Lycaena candens. North of Mali i Korabit, Albania (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
Description
♂♂
Small butterfly. Fw: 17-19 mm.
Ups: well marked purple reflections.
Upf: a single black discal spot.
Unf: black postdiscal spots in nearly evenly curved row.
Unh: orange submarginal band less pronounced with slightly larger black dots on both sides.
♀♀
Similar size.
Ups: without purple reflections, brown gc with variable orange areas (sometimes hardly present), dark spots in usual pattern, postdiscal spots in nearly evenly curved row.
Unf: black postdiscal spots in nearly evenly curved row.
Unh: orange submarginal band less pronounced with slightly larger black dots on both sides.
Similar species
Lycaena alciphron
Size: similar.
♂♂
Upf:  variable violet suffusion on orange-red gc.
Upf:  pd dots.
Uph:  variable violet suffusion.
Unf: black pd spots in irregular row.
Unh: continuous orange submarginal band with tiny black dots on both sides.
♀♀
Upf: pd dots.
Upf: variable gc from full brown to bright orange.
Unf: black postdiscal spots in irregular row.
Unh:  pd dots.
Unh: continuous orange submarginal band with tiny black dots on both sides.
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Life cycle
Adults: single generation from June to August.
Egg: probably short stage.
Caterpillar: overwinters as young larva and feeds during spring.
Pupa: probably short stage.
Habitat
Lycaena candens inhabits moist, flowery mountain meadows near running water and in open spaces in forests from 1000 to above 2000 m a.s.l.
Spatial requirement low, population density sometimes high.
Foodplants
Caterpillars feed on Rumex acetosa.
Butterflies feed on a variety of alpine flowers.
Distribution
Albania: widespread in higher mountains.
Balkan: AL - BG - BIH - GR - HR - NMK - MNE - RKS - RO - SLO - SRB
Europe: IB - IT - ALP - BAL - NWE - UK - SCA - EEU
Asia Minor, Transcaucasia, Caucasus and further east.
Conservation status
Lycaena candens is not endangered.
Albanian Red List: VU.
IUCN Red List, category at the Mediterranean level: NA.
Useful links
Pyrgus.de
Lepiforum
Euroleps
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