Large Copper Butterfly - Lycaena dispar

Extinct in Britain since 1865, the large copper butterfly is in decline in many other countries. The lovely (male) specimen pictured below was one of many we saw that were enjoying a magnificent feast in a wildflower meadow in the Pirin Mountains of Bulgaria during June 2009.

Despite several reintroduction attempts at sites in Britain and Ireland, it has so far proved impossible to reinstate self-sustaining colonies of this beautiful butterfly in the British Isles; that may be because the sub-species chosen (ssp batavus, brought in from Holland) were unable to adapt to habitats subtly different from their native country.

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