| Family | Lycaenidae |
|---|---|
| Subfamily | Lycaeninae |
| Genus | Lycaena |
| Species | alciphron |
| Authority | (Rottemburg, 1775) |
| English Name | Purple-shot Copper |
| European Red List 2010 | Least Concern (LC) |
|---|---|
| EU 27 Red List 2010 | Near Threatened (NT) |
| European Red List 2025 | Least Concern (LC) |
| EU 27 Red List 2025 | Least Concern (LC) |
| Habitats Directive | |
| Bern Convention | |
| CITES |
The Purple-shot Copper is found both in damp and dry places on many kinds of flower-rich grassland. Only the male has the beautiful purple sheen on the upperside of its wings. Eggs are laid on sorrels (Rumex spp.), mainly Common Sorrel (R. acetosa). This butterfly species hibernates as a fully-developed caterpillar in the egg, or in the first instar. The caterpillars are nocturnal. They pupate in the litter layer. It has one generation a year. It hibernates as a caterpillar outside the egg. Across Europe there are different subspecies.
Albania / Andorra / Austria / Belarus / Bosnia and Herzegovina / Bulgaria / Croatia / Czechia / Denmark (Irregular Vagrant) / Estonia / France / France: Mainland / Germany / Greece / Greece: Mainland / Greece: East Aegean Islands / Hungary / Italy / Italy: Mainland / Italy: Sicily / Latvia / Lithuania / North Macedonia / Moldova / Montenegro / Poland / Portugal / Portugal: Mainland / Romania / European Russia / Serbia / Serbia: Serbia / Serbia: Kosovo / Slovakia / Slovenia / Spain / Spain: Mainland / Switzerland / European Türkiye / Ukraine /