Size:
Wingspan is 1 1/8 - 1 3/8 inches.

Similar Species:
American Copper

Habitat:
Partly shaded areas near waterways, ponds or lakes. Usually found near alder thickets or beech trees with wooly aphids.

Range/Abundance:
Uncommon to rare throughout the region. Likely overlooked because of its small size and the way it blends into the landscape.

Flight Period:
Adults fly from mid March until October in two or three broods with gaps between broods.

Larval Host Plants:
This is the only butterfly in the US with carnivorous larva which feed on Wooly Aphids and not plants. The aphids can be found on Alder Alnus spp., Ash Fraxinus spp., American Beech Fagus grandifolia, Witch Hazel Hamamelis virginiana and Silver Maple Acer saccharinum.

Comments:
This species usually turns up unexpectedly on damp gravel or dirt roads where aphids could be found nearby. The flight is very different from that of the Pearl Crescent which is about the same size and color in flight and could be found in the same habitat.

The top photo was taken in Radford, VA on July 07, 2003. The second photo was taken along Catawba Creek in Botetourt Co., VA on April 24, 2003. The bottom photo was taken in Buncombe Co., NC by Will Cook on July 07, 2002.

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