BRC - Database of Insects and their Food Plants


		© Roger Key
Family	Lycaenidae
Sub Family
Description	the ‘hairstreaks’, ‘coppers’, ‘blues’ and ‘metal-marks’
Background to Family	Thirty-two species with diverse life histories, containing a high proportion of rare and threatened taxa. Individual species mainly specialise on single plant genera: the ‘hairstreaks’ (sub-family Theclinae) on a range of deciduous shrubs and trees; the ‘coppers’ (Lycaeninae) on Rumex (Polygonaceae), and the ‘blues’ (Polyommatinae) generally on members of the Leguminaceae and Cistaceae. Certain ‘blues’ can develop on a wider range of hosts, depending on the habitat occupied. The duke of burgundy, Hamearis lucina (a ‘metal-mark’, Riodininae, which was placed in the former family Nemeobiidae), is confined to Primula. The caterpillars of the Lycaenidae feed on flower and leaf buds, as well as leaves. Many species exhibit associations with ants in the larval and pupal stages, ranging from mutualists to brood predators.
		© Roger Key
No. taxa in DBIF	51
No. interactions	342
% interactions with British data	86%
No. records	635
% taxa with British data	96%
Notes	Old data currently unassessed by a specialist for changes in nomenclature, errors in original sources, and misspellings. Most recent update from Asher et al (2001). The Millenium Atlas of Butterflies in Britain and Ireland, OUP.; Some interactions relate to associations with ants.;
Notes on Sources
Most recent source	2001

Below is a list of all sources for this family / sub-family contained within DBIF. Click on source name for a list of all records for this source.


Source	Howarth, T.G. (1973) South's British Butterflies 1-210:62
Source	Skelton, M.J. & Heath, J. (1975) Lepidoptera: Rhopalocera :18
Source	Heath, J., Pollard, E. & Thomas, J. (1984) Atlas of Butterflies in Britain and Ireland 1-158:60
Source	Howarth, T.G. (1973) South's British Butterflies 1-210:90
Source	Heath, J., Pollard, E. & Thomas, J. (1984) Atlas of Butterflies in Britain and Ireland 1-158:68
Source	Chipperfield, H.E.(1980) Entomologist's Rec. J. Var. 92 153-153:153
Source	Skelton, M.J. & Heath, J. (1975) Lepidoptera: Rhopalocera :26
Source	Blab, J. & Kudrna, O. (1982) Hilfsprogramm fur Schmetterlinge 1-135:110
Source	Thomas, C.D.(1985) Ecol. Entomol. 10:3 325-340:332
Source	Howarth, T.G. (1973) South's British Butterflies 1-210:74
Source	Noble, K. (1975) Working draft of "The Natural foodplants of Macrolepidoptera larvae in Britain, Part II." Field Studies Council :8
Source	Dennis, R.L.H.(1985) Entomologist's Gaz. 36:3 175-179:176
Source	Howarth, T.G. (1973) South's British Butterflies 1-210:67
Source	Howarth, T.G. (1973) South's British Butterflies 1-210:83
Source	Tilley, R.J.D.(1984) Entomologist's Rec. J. Var. 96 141-143:141
Source	Howarth, T.G. (1973) South's British Butterflies 1-210:68
Source	Skelton, M.J. & Heath, J. (1975) Lepidoptera: Rhopalocera :22
Source	Blab, J. & Kudrna, O. (1982) Hilfsprogramm fur Schmetterlinge 1-135:92
Source	Porter, J. (1997) The Colour Identification Guide to Caterpillars of the British Isles. 1-154, 12
Source	Skelton, M.J. & Heath, J. (1975) Lepidoptera: Rhopalocera :19
Source	Archer-Lock, A.(1982) Entomologist's Rec. J. Var. 94 16-17:17
Source	Skelton, M.J. & Heath, J. (1975) Lepidoptera: Rhopalocera :25
Source	Howarth, T.G. (1973) South's British Butterflies 1-210:76
Source	Blab, J. & Kudrna, O. (1982) Hilfsprogramm fur Schmetterlinge 1-135:94
Source	Howarth, T.G. (1973) South's British Butterflies 1-210:79
Source	Heath, J., Pollard, E. & Thomas, J. (1984) Atlas of Butterflies in Britain and Ireland 1-158:52
Source	Heath, J., Pollard, E. & Thomas, J. (1984) Atlas of Butterflies in Britain and Ireland 1-158:58
Source	Warren, M.S.(1986) Entomologist's Gaz. 37:2 65-67:65
Source	Blab, J. & Kudrna, O. (1982) Hilfsprogramm fur Schmetterlinge 1-135:102
Source	Howarth, T.G. (1973) South's British Butterflies 1-210:63
Source	Skelton, M.J. & Heath, J. (1975) Lepidoptera: Rhopalocera :23
Source	Blab, J. & Kudrna, O. (1982) Hilfsprogramm fur Schmetterlinge 1-135:100
Source	Blab, J. & Kudrna, O. (1982) Hilfsprogramm fur Schmetterlinge 1-135:104
Source	Howarth, T.G. (1973) South's British Butterflies 1-210:85
Source	Blab, J. & Kudrna, O. (1982) Hilfsprogramm fur Schmetterlinge 1-135:101
Source	Howarth, T.G. (1973) South's British Butterflies 1-210:80
Source	Thomas, J.A.(1983) J. appl. Ecol. 20:1 59-83:59
Source	Howarth, T.G. (1973) South's British Butterflies 1-210:71
Source	Howarth, T.G. (1973) South's British Butterflies 1-210:92
Source	In ed. Emmet, A.M., Heath,J. (1989) The moths and butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland (Vol 7, part 1) 1-370:121
Source	Howarth, T.G. (1973) South's British Butterflies 1-210:81
Source	Heath, J., Pollard, E. & Thomas, J. (1984) Atlas of Butterflies in Britain and Ireland 1-158:54
Source	Frohawk, F.W.(1904) Entomologist 37 245-249:245
Source	Noble, K. (1975) Working draft of "The Natural foodplants of Macrolepidoptera larvae in Britain, Part II." Field Studies Council :9
Source	Porter, J. (1997) The Colour Identification Guide to Caterpillars of the British Isles. 1-154, 13
Source	Pollard, E.(1985) Entomologist's Gaz. 36:1 3-3:3
Source	Blab, J. & Kudrna, O. (1982) Hilfsprogramm fur Schmetterlinge 1-135:97
Source	Owen, D.F. & Whiteway, W.R.(1980) Biol. Conserv. 17 149-155:152
Source	Skelton, M.J. & Heath, J. (1975) Lepidoptera: Rhopalocera :24
Source	Noble, K. (1975) Working draft of "The Natural foodplants of Macrolepidoptera larvae in Britain, Part II." Field Studies Council :7
Source	Heath, J., Pollard, E. & Thomas, J. (1984) Atlas of Butterflies in Britain and Ireland 1-158:64
Source	Allan, P.B.M. (1949) Larval foodplants 1-126:16
Source	Skelton, M.J. & Heath, J. (1975) Lepidoptera: Rhopalocera :28
Source	Blab, J. & Kudrna, O. (1982) Hilfsprogramm fur Schmetterlinge 1-135:107
Source	Howarth, T.G. (1973) South's British Butterflies 1-210:66
Source	Skelton, M.J. & Heath, J. (1975) Lepidoptera: Rhopalocera :17
Source	Richens, R.H. (1983) Elm :69
Source	Howarth, T.G. (1973) South's British Butterflies 1-210:94
Source	Howarth, T.G. (1973) South's British Butterflies 1-210:77
Source	Blab, J. & Kudrna, O. (1982) Hilfsprogramm fur Schmetterlinge 1-135:109
Source	Skelton, M.J. & Heath, J. (1975) Lepidoptera: Rhopalocera :30
Source	Howarth, T.G. (1973) South's British Butterflies 1-210:87
Source	Blab, J. & Kudrna, O. (1982) Hilfsprogramm fur Schmetterlinge 1-135:90
Source	Howarth, T.G. (1973) South's British Butterflies 1-210:69
Source	Porter, J. (1997) The Colour Identification Guide to Caterpillars of the British Isles. 1-154, 14
Source	Dennis, R.L.H. (1977) The British Butterflies their Origin and Establishment 1-318:304
Source	Porter, J. (1997) The Colour Identification Guide to Caterpillars of the British Isles. 1-154, 11
Source	Howarth, T.G. (1973) South's British Butterflies 1-210:84
Source	Dennis, R.L.H. (1977) The British Butterflies their Origin and Establishment 1-318:303
Source	Howarth, T.G. (1973) South's British Butterflies 1-210:64
Source	Heath, J., Pollard, E. & Thomas, J. (1984) Atlas of Butterflies in Britain and Ireland 1-158:48
Source	Asher, J. (2001). The Millenium Atlas of Butterflies in Britain and Ireland.
Source	Allan, P.B.M. (1949) Larval foodplants 1-126:15
Source	Skelton, M.J. & Heath, J. (1975) Lepidoptera: Rhopalocera :29
Source	Allan, P.B.M. (1949) Larval foodplants 1-126:14
Source	Heath, J., Pollard, E. & Thomas, J. (1984) Atlas of Butterflies in Britain and Ireland 1-158:66
Source	Blab, J. & Kudrna, O. (1982) Hilfsprogramm fur Schmetterlinge 1-135:91
Source	Howarth, T.G. (1973) South's British Butterflies 1-210:88
Source	Blab, J. & Kudrna, O. (1982) Hilfsprogramm fur Schmetterlinge 1-135:96
Source	Blab, J. & Kudrna, O. (1982) Hilfsprogramm fur Schmetterlinge 1-135:106
Source	Heath, J., Pollard, E. & Thomas, J. (1984) Atlas of Butterflies in Britain and Ireland 1-158:62
Source	Howarth, T.G. (1973) South's British Butterflies 1-210:72
Source	Heath, J., Pollard, E. & Thomas, J. (1984) Atlas of Butterflies in Britain and Ireland 1-158:70
Source	Blab, J. & Kudrna, O. (1982) Hilfsprogramm fur Schmetterlinge 1-135:93
Source	Skelton, M.J. & Heath, J. (1975) Lepidoptera: Rhopalocera :20
Source	Skelton, M.J. & Heath, J. (1975) Lepidoptera: Rhopalocera :21
Source	Skelton, M.J. & Heath, J. (1975) Lepidoptera: Rhopalocera :27
Source	Blab, J. & Kudrna, O. (1982) Hilfsprogramm fur Schmetterlinge 1-135:95
Source	Heath, J., Pollard, E. & Thomas, J. (1984) Atlas of Butterflies in Britain and Ireland 1-158:56

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