Tharsalea arota
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
Lycaena arota, the tailed copper, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in North America from New Mexico north and west to Oregon, south to southern California and Baja California, Mexico. The average wingspan ranges from 30–35 mm. Adults are on wing from May to August in one generation per year. The migration of butterflies can be caused by various factors such as the distribution of food plants, evasion of natural enemies, and climate change. They feed on flower nectar.
The larvae feed on the leaves of Ribes species. The species overwinters as an egg. It is commonly confused with two other species, Lycaena gorgon and Lycaena xanthoides. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grand Canyon National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Yosemite National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Tailed Copper sighting in Yosemite National Park on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 192nd most-seen of the 227 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, 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 Tailed Copper in Yosemite National Park on a given day, against under 5% in September to June, the lowest months. Those are among Yosemite National Park's driest months, with about 25 mm of rain a month against 220 mm in January.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Tailed 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.
3rd of 3
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Tailed Copper sightings, Yosemite National Park ranks 3rd at under 5%. The best odds are in Grand Canyon National Park (United States, about 10%) and Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks (United States, about 10%).
Same genus: Tharsalea
The closest relatives of the Tailed Copper that you can see in Yosemite National Park (genus Tharsalea) are Edith's Copper (about 10%), Lilac-Bordered Copper (about 10%) and Mariposa Copper (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Tailed Copper is recorded against all the insects logged in Yosemite National Park (5 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.
