Paralucia pyrodiscus
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~30%
The fiery copper or dull copper (Paralucia pyrodiscus) is an endemic Australian butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. One of the two subspecies, P. p. lucida, is commonly known as the Eltham copper. The larvae feed on Bursaria spinosa and are associated with Notoncus ants.
It is found in eastern Australia from central Queensland through eastern New South Wales and into eastern Victoria. Outlying populations occur in north Queensland and central Victoria. The larvae of P. p. lucida are nocturnal and feed solely on Busaria spinosa after dusk for many hours. When the temperature is above 15 °C, the larvae become inactive. They live for long periods of time, and remain active, though less-so, in the winter months. During these times, they rest in the subterranean nest chambers of different Notoncus ants, depending on their geographic distribution. During the day, larvae also rest in the ants' nest chambers near the roots of B. spinosa. At night, ants herd the larvae up the Bursaria plants. Their movement signals to other larvae, creating large numbers of movement each night. Several ants commonly accompany individual larva and remain with them until they... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lamington National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Melbourne | 🇦🇺 Australia |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Fiery Copper sighting in Melbourne on a given day, based on 221 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 161st most-seen of the 875 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
December to March
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Fiery Copper in Melbourne on a given day, against under 5% in April to November, the lowest months.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Fiery Copper sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Only Melbourne, in our data
Melbourne is the only city on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Fiery Copper sightings: about 10% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
Same family: Lycaenidae
The closest relatives of the Fiery Copper that you can see in Melbourne (family Lycaenidae, Gossamer-winged Butterflies) are Lesser Grass Blue (about 20%), Zizina labradus (about 10%) and Saltbush Blue (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Fiery Copper is recorded against all the insects logged in Melbourne (221 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
