This is the Lycaena phlaeas butterfly (The small copper, American copper, or common copper) The Small Copper is a fast flying butterfly that, once settled, is unmistakable with its bright copper-coloured forewings. It is a widespread species and a familiar and welcome sight for many naturalists throughout the summer months.

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As I spent the last days digging through historical records largely covering a different spot near my main study area, Lycaena phlaeas was reported to have settled permanently in the mid-10's. No observations whatsoever were made after 2021 and half of the path encircling this rather tiny forest no longer exists.

It took me a bunch of scratches, some fear due to a dead tree looming dangerously above what once used to be the rest of the hiking path (and thus just a few centimeters above my head), loads of other insects that perceived me as a threat and thus tried to sting me and occasional breaks to finally confirm that L. phlaeas still is present, albeit in quite low numbers.

(And even though all shots do not meet my strict criteria, this observation was among my personal highlights of this excursion.)

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