73 
Although melinus occurs throughout Illinois and is 
abundant in the southern portion of the state, it is un- 
common to rare northward. There are few records from 
Cook County. At Streator, La Salle County, only seven 
specimens have been taken from 1941 through 1969 
(RRI). S. melinus is apparently double-brooded, with 
earliest and latest record dates of April 21 and Octo- 
bere. 
Comparison of Illinois melinus with material from 
other states indicates the need for much study of this 
rather variable species to determine the validity of the 
subspecies within the taxon. Pending such investiga- 
tion we assign all Illinois populations to the subspecies 
humuli (Harris) . 
Lycaena thoe (Guérin-Méneville) 
Bronze copper 
Polyommatus thoe Guérin-Méneville 1831: Plate 81 
(type-locality “North America’) . 
Chrysophanus thoe: Worthington 1880:48; Holland 
1931: 248. 
Lycaena thoe: Klots 1951: 152; dos Passos 1964:60 (No. 
433). 
Illinois records.—Map 57. 
The bronze copper is generally distributed through- 
out Illinois, and is locally frequent, sometimes com- 
mon. Although generally regarded as a wet-ground spe- 
cies, we have often found it in drier environments, even 
on occasion within the limits of cities. The allotype fe- 
male of the aberration wyatti Gunder, in which the dark 
spots of the fore wings are elongated and coalesce, was 
taken at Chicago, Cook County, September 15, 1907, 
by A. K. Wyatt. There are two broods. Extreme dates 
of capture of thoe in Illinois are May 17 and Novem- 
ber 3. The second brood, appearing in August, seems 
to be slightly larger in numbers than the first. It should 
be sought near its food plant, curly dock (Rumex cris- 
pus L.). 
Lycaena xanthoides dione (Scudder) 
Great copper 
Chrysophanus dione Scudder 1868b:401 (type-locality 
“Denison and New Jefferson, Iowa’) ; Worthington 
1880:48; Holland 1931:248. 
Lycaena xanthoides dione: Klots 1951:154; dos Pas- 
sos 1964:60 (No. 435b). 
Illinois records.—Map 58. 
This butterfly (Fig. 2) is common in the northern 
portion of Illinois but not recorded from the southern 
third of the state, where it may not occur. Although 
the species is listed by Worthington and there is a rec- 
ord from Normal, McLean County, in 1873 (INHS), 
most Illinois records are relatively recent, and there is 
evidence that dione is increasing in numbers and distri- 
bution in Illinois. Wyatt regarded it as a newcomer 
to the Chicago area (AKW). We did not find it at 
Streator, La Salle County, until 1954, when a very re- 
stricted colony was discovered along the Santa Fe rail- 
road tracks just east of the city. Since then, it has spread 
into the city itself. L. x. dione is single-brooded. The 
earliest date of capture is June 9, and the latest July 
30, but the main flight season is from the third week 
of June through the middle of July. 
Lycaena helloides (Boisduval) 
Purplish copper 
Polyommatus helloides Boisduval 1852:291 (type-local- 
ity “San Francisco, California’) . 
Chrysophanus helloides: Holland 1931:249. 
Lycaena helloides: Klots 1951:153; dos Passos 1964:61 
(No. 440). 
Illinois records.—Map 59. 
Although all of our records are from the northeast- 
ern counties, L. helloides undoubtedly occurs through- 
out at least the northern third of the state. It is unlike- 
ly that there is a distributional break in northwestern 
Illinois; its apparent absence probably reflects the gen- 
eral lack of adequate collecting coverage in the area. 
L. helloides is extremely local but is often common to 
abundant where found. It occurs frequently in associa- 
tion with L. thoe. The species was abundant at Goose 
Lake Prairie, Grundy County, on July 18, 1970. There 
were several exceedingly localized colonies, each only < 
few hundred square yards in extent, in which helloide. 
abounded together with L. thoe. These colonies wer 
separated by areas in which no helloides were to be seen 
although thoe was present everywhere. There is a well 
established colony at Burnham, Cook County. Th 
southernmost records in Illinois are from Streator, Li 
Salle County, and Beaverville, Iroquois County. At th 
former locality, only a single example of helloides he 
been taken (October 1, 1950, Irwin, INHS), but h 
win Leeuw (personal communication) found it cor 
mon at Beaverville in late July, 1970. 
The earliest and latest dates for the species in Ill 
nois are May 19 and October 21, but the most recorc 
are from late July through September. The butterf 
‘s double-brooded and the second brood, emerging ne: 
the end of August, is somewhat the larger in number 
Lycaena phlaeas americana Harris 
American copper 
Lycaena americana Harris 1862b:273 (type-locali 
“Massachusetts” ) . 
Chrysophanus americana: 
Chrysophanus hypophlaeas: 
Lycaena phlaeas americana: 
sos 1964:61 (No. 443a). 
Illinois records.—Map 60. 
This copper is locally frequent, sometimes comm(¢ 
and is generally distributed throughout Illinois. Indiv 
ual variants, including the aberration fasciata (Strecke 
are often encountered. The species has been taken fri 
April 27 through October 19. 
Individuals tend to be local, and colonies may 
found in the same relative spot year after year. TI 
feed on curly dock (Rumex crispus L.) often in com 
tion with L. thoe. 
Worthington 1880:48. 
Holland 1931:251. 
Klots 1951:151; dos P 
Leptotes marina (Reakirt) 
Marine blue 
Lycaena marina Reakirt 1868:87 (type-locality “Or 
ba and near Vera Cruz, Mexico”) ; Holland 19 
272, 
Leptotes marinus: Klots 1951: 158: 
Leptotes marina: dos Passos 1964:62 (No. 449). 
Illinois records—Cook County: Forest View, ! 
