Description
The Purplish Copper (Tharsalea helloides) is a small butterfly with vibrant orange wings edged in black and a purplish sheen on the upper sides of males, typically found in wet meadows, marshes, and along stream edges across western North America.
Range
The northern two-thirds of the state.
Similar Species
Dorcas copper and bog copper are similar. Bog is smaller and doesn’t have the purplish sheen below. Dorcas and Purplish can be very hard to tell apart, but in drier areas like barrens or prairies, it’s probably Purplish.
Host Plants
Curly Dock (Rumex crispus), Water Dock (Rumex orbiculatus), Sorrel (Rumex spp.)
Flight
Overwinters in chrysalis, and can emerge as early as late-May and fly until October