Habitat
Lowland populations of American coppers are found in
pastures, landfills, roadsides, yards, and fields. Arctic and alpine populations are found above the treeline on barren ground and
talus slopes. A talus slope is
an accumulation of rocks at the base of a cliff or slope.
Diet
The American copper caterpillar eats
herbs of the knotwood or Polygonaceae family including sheep sorrel and curled dock. The adult feeds on the nectar of
common buttercup,
goldenrod, white clover, butterflyweed, and yarrow.
Life Cycle
The male American copper perches in grassy areas and waits for a female. The female lays one egg at a time on the leaves of a host plant.
The American copper produces one to two broods a year. The caterpillar is
red to yellow-green and has red and white stripes.
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Lowland groups of the American copper are found
from Nova Scotia, Canada south to Arkansas and Georgia, and west to North Dakota and Kansas. Arctic and alpine populations are found from Greenland west to Alaska and south to the Hudson Bay. American copper populations are also found in the mountains of some western states.