Hermes Coppers!

Hermes copper butterfly at Sycuan Peak

Yay! Hermes coppers! On our 3^rd trip to Jamul (Rowshan’s 4^th) the Hermes coppers were finally out. At first, it seemed it wasn’t a good butterfly day. On the coast, it was gray and cloudy. Once inland it cleared up. As we gained a little altitude we rose above the haze into a clear shining day. However, once on the trail, we weren’t immediately greeted with butterflies like last time. A buckeye perched on the trail in front of us. “Ugh! A buckeye,” Rowshan said, disgusted. “I don’t like them. They chase the other butterflies away.” Finally, a few blues appeared and I found a brown elfin on some CA buckwheat. Aside from that, the trail seemed filled with mostly flies which circled our heads, insolently buzz bombing me even though I’d sprayed DEET on my neck and shoulders. Rowshan called to me, “I see something.”

There was a small flash of yellow which we hadn’t seen before; too small for a sulphur, wrong color for a blue, hairstreak, or brown elfin. As it landed on a branch, we rushed to get a closer look. “I think this is it!” I pulled out my butterfly book to check, “The bright yellow undersides of the hindwings are diagnostic.” The top wings matched the photo. However, the bottom wings had larger spots including a red one. Perhaps there was another butterfly that was almost the same. As we continued up the trail, we saw several more. A couple matched the photo in my book exactly. Later, local insect and Hermes copper expert, Michael Kline, told me the extra spots were from researchers.

Hermes copper with researcher's marks.

The Hermes copper is a gracious butterfly and sits still on branches long enough to get some nice photos, sometimes, slowly opening its wings to reveal the upper part. Then, they flit off, circle the area and return to the same plant or one nearby. Otherwise, they disappear off into the brush off the path. 

Here are some other Hermes copper tidbits: they like CA buckwheat nectar, the spiny redberry is their food plant. They only fly if it is warmer than 70 degrees but cooler than 95. Through Michael Kline, I also later learned that it had been a bad year for Hermes coppers. Though on that day in Sycuan we saw quite a few, in other places where the butterfly had formerly been seen there weren't any. I hope things get better for this beautiful butterfly.