Lycaena cupreus
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~30%
Lycaena cuprea, the lustrous copper, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in the western mountains of North America. The wingspan is 23–30 mm. Adults are on wing from mid-June to July or August. They feed on the nectar of Cirsium, Medicago sativa and Melilotus species.
The larvae feed on Oxyria digyna and Rumex species. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yosemite National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Glacier National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Rocky Mountain National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Grand Teton National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Yellowstone National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Lustrous Copper sighting in Rocky Mountain National Park on a given day, based on 12 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 104th most-seen of the 191 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.
July and August
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Lustrous Copper in Rocky Mountain National Park on a given day, against under 5% in September to June, the lowest months.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Lustrous Copper sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
4th of 6
Of the 6 parks where we can rate Lustrous Copper sightings, Rocky Mountain National Park ranks 4th at about 10%. The best odds are in Yosemite National Park (United States, about 20%), Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks (United States, about 10%) and Glacier National Park (United States, about 10%).
Same family: Lycaenidae
The closest relatives of the Lustrous Copper that you can see in Rocky Mountain National Park (family Lycaenidae, Gossamer-winged Butterflies) are Arctic Blue (about 10%), Greenish Blue (about 10%) and Dorcas Copper (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Lustrous Copper is recorded against all the insects logged in Rocky Mountain National Park (12 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.
