Lustrous Copper
Lycaena cupreus snowi
Immatures

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2012 - Ovum - 3 July 2012
ovum


LARVAE
First Instar- Emerged 9 July 2012
first instar


Second Instars - 14 July 2012 - 3mm
second instar

Third Instar - 5 mm long - 16 July 2012

third instar on 16 July, 5 mm long


Fourth Instar - 15 mm - molted 26 July, Photos 31 July 2012
4th instar


Fourth Instar - 15 mm - molted 26 July, photos 31 July 2012
4th Instar


Fourth Instar - 15 mm - molted 26 July, photos 31 July 2012
4th instar


After molting to third or fourth instar, these larvae all hibernated
The third instars did not recover from hibernation.
The fourth instars ate for a week then pupated.
snowi


#3 Just before pupating
just before pupating


Pupae
#3 Newly formed pupa - 2:30 P.M. April 27, 2013
#3 newly formed pupa


Pupa #2 formed 25 April, 2013 - Photo taken on 26 April 2012
The white string-like object is the silken thread that was broken when moved from the container
pupa pupa pupa


Pupa #3 formed 27 April, 2013 - Photo taken on 4 May 2013 - Shows Development
#3pupa #3 pupa #3 pupa

Pupa #3 formed 27 April, 2013 - Photo taken 7:40 A.M. 5 May 2013
Butterfly emerged 9:43 A.M. 5 May 2013
pupa on day butterfly eclosed pupa pupa  on day butterfly emerged




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Larva- 2010
#2 First Instar - Emerged 19 August and photographed 21 August 2010
First Instar


#2 Second Instar - Molted to second instar
on 25 August, photographed the same day
second instar on 25 August 2010


#1 Second Instar - emerged 20 August,
photographed 27 August 2010
#1 Second instar


#2 Third Instar - emerged 20 August,
photographed 27 August 2010
#2 third instar


#2 Third Instar - emerged 20 August,
photographed 27 August 2010

#2 third instar

PHOTO DETAILS - ©Nicky Davis
2012 - Location:  Jack Harry located females 9 miles west of Fairplay near Horseshoe Basin, Park County, Colorado
3 July 2012.

Ova - 6 days
Larvae - First Instar - 5 days - 2 mm
                 Second Instar - 5 days - 3 mm on day molted to second instar
                 Third Instar - 5 mm long - 16 July 2012
                  Fourth Instar - 15 mm on 31 July - 188 mm August 2, 2012
                  After they stopped feeding they first were put into the fridge at 40º for a few weeks then they were put into hibernation (September 21, 2012) by placing them into a fridge at about 31ºF.  The containers used were cello cups with pin holes on all surfaces plus a chiffon hammock for the larvae to rest on  without the possibility of getting soaked. 
The cello cups were placed in a plastic sandwich container with another cell cup full of water to help keep them
hydrated.  The plastic sandwich container also had holes drilled in each side to allow for ventilation.

On April 18, 2013 the host plant I was going to use (Rumex crispus) was growing enough to feed the five larvae so they were removed from the fridge and put into a cello cup with a piece of paper towel in the bottom and  a chiffon top.  NEVER PUT SNOWI IN A CLOSED CONTAINER.  The paper towel was misted with distilled water for hydration.  I used distilled water to help avoid disease.  I plan to mist them once a day and change the crispus to avoid disease as much as possible.  I put the chiffon lidded cello cup container which held the larvae under a light but it was a foot away and so didn't heat them up.  Temperature in the room was 72º F.  Three of the larvae were 15 mm long and two were much smaller and were third instars.

Pupae - 8 days
The larvae refused the host plant Rumex crispus so when they were moving but not feeding, I moved the three large ones to Rumex acetosella - Sheep Sorrel.  The third instars did not come out of hibernation.  The three large ones began nibbling a bit and frassing some but not as ravenously as I expected.   Then on 25 April before 6 A.M. two of the larvae pupated.  The third large one didn't pupate at the same time.  Pupae were 9 mm long. 

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2010 - Location:  Jack Harry and Jacque Wolfe located female, 1 mile east of Mosquito Pass, Park County, Colorado - Elevation 12,600 feet.  The butterflies were using digyna as the host plant.

Ova
Hatched 19 and 20 August 2010

Larvae
A rumex acetosella hybrid was used to feed these larvae.  After molting 6o third instar all of these larvae hibernated.  These died in hibernation

Host Plants
Oviposited on
Alpine Mountain Sorrel - Oxynia digyna

Larvae fed on
Rumex acetosella hybrid

 I tried this plant when larvae come out of hibernation but they rejected it.
Rumex crispus    

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