Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas)

The Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas)—or Väike-leekliblikas in Estonian—is a tiny, glowing ember of the butterfly world. While its size is modest, its personality is anything but. It is one of the most widespread butterflies in the Northern Hemisphere, yet it never fails to surprise with its metallic “burnished” wings and its surprisingly fierce temperament.

Here is a profile of this “small but mighty” meadow resident.

1. The “Warrior” of the Bare Patch

Don’t let the delicate wings fool you; the Small Copper is one of the most territorial butterflies in the wild.

• The Interceptor: Males are famous for choosing a “throne”—usually a flat stone, a piece of bare earth, or a low-lying leaf. From here, they launch themselves at anything that flies into their air space. This includes rival males, other butterfly species, and even the shadows of large birds.
• The Return: After a high-speed chase, the male almost always returns to the exact same spot. This “site fidelity” makes them an excellent subject for photographers who miss the first shot.

2. The “Blue-Spotted” Mystery

If you look closely at the hindwings of a Small Copper, you might find a secret.

• The caeruleopunctata Form: A significant percentage of individuals feature a row of tiny, brilliant blue dots just inside the copper band on their hindwings.
• Genetic Flair: While researchers are still debating whether this is a temperature-related response or a genetic variation, these blue spots add a layer of “jewel-like” detail that transforms a common butterfly into a collector’s find.

3. The Sorrel Connection

The survival of the Small Copper is tied to the Polygonaceae family, specifically Sorrels and Docks.

• Miniature Golf Balls: The female lays her eggs singly on the leaves of Common Sorrel (Rumex acetosa) or Sheep’s Sorrel (Rumex acetosella). Under a macro lens, these eggs look like tiny, white, intricately carved golf balls.
• The “Window-Pane” Feeders: Young caterpillars (larvae) don’t eat all the way through the leaf. Instead, they scrape away the underside, leaving behind a transparent “window” of the upper cuticle. Finding these “windows” in a meadow is the best way to track down a colony before they even emerge as adults.

📸 Photographer’s Perspective: Managing the “Glow”

Capturing the Lycaena phlaeas requires a mix of stealth and light management.

• Avoiding “Digital Burn”: The copper orange on their forewings is incredibly reflective. In direct sunlight, it is very easy to “blow out” the orange highlights. Try to shoot when a thin cloud passes over or underexpose slightly (-0.7 EV) to preserve the rich, metallic texture.
• The “Bask” Angle: Because they are “flat-baskers,” the best shots are often taken from a steep top-down angle to capture the full symmetry of the wings, or from a very low “eye-level” angle to show them sitting on a rock or a flower.
• Anticipate the Aggression: If you see a Small Copper take off to chase a bee, stay still! Keep your focus locked on the spot where it was sitting. It will likely return within 10–20 seconds, allowing you to pre-focus and wait for the perfect “touchdown” shot.
• Search for the Aberrations: Keep an eye out for rare color forms. Beyond the blue-spotted version, there is a very rare form called schmidtii, where the copper orange is replaced by a pale, creamy white.

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