Large Copper

[Dave McCormick]

I was just wanting to know what the difference is between the three forms of Large Copper. They look similar to me. Maybe its their behaviour thats different, although one (U.K.) is extint. Why won't the Large Copper survive in U.K.?

[Matsukaze]

The three forms are in fact the three subspecies that have occurred at some point in the UK (two of them introduced). There are numerous subspecies of Large Copper - France for instance has had three completely different subspecies gronieri, burdigalensis and carueli. The extinct native subspecies dispar, the Dutch subspecies batavus which has been used for most of the reintroduction attempts, and the extinct French subspecies gronieri were/are habitat specialists requiring large areas of fenland, which no longer exists here, and are single-brooded. Quite how the line is drawn between an isolated population and a subspecies I am not sure. The other subspecies are, as far as I know, all double-brooded and less specialist in habitat requirements, though still needing wet places. Possibly the attempts at establishing rutilus in England and Ireland failed because the climate is not suitable for the subspecies, which is from eastern Germany, Poland etc.

[Dave McCormick]

Thanks for that. Thought it be too cold for them here.

[Pete Eeles]

I believe the loss of the English subspecies (dispar) was down to loss of habitat. In this case, the drainage of the fens.

Cheers,

- Pete