We declare the large copper (Lycaena dispar) to be the protected species of July. It can be mostly observed in the middle of summer.

In warm and sunny weather Large Copper cannot be overlooked - a fiery orange butterfly with a gray winged underside stands out in flight, looking for flowering plants with nectar. The Large Cooper is the largest of all gossamer-winged butterflies in Europe.

Butterfly larvae are somewhat similar to rough woodlouse (tiny crustaceans). They feed on various acids that grow in wet meadows, such as on the riparian acids Rumex hydrolaphatum. However, the Large Coppers are good in flying and go far in search of feeding places - flowering meadows, roadsides far from their hatching place.

The Large Copper is an endangered species throughout Europe, affected by the loss of habitats - wet meadows and wetlands as a result of land reclamation. The species is included in the Latvian list of specially protected species.

The Project “Threatened species in Latvia: improved knowledge, capacity, data and awareness” LIFE19 GIE/LV/000857 LIFE FOR SPECIES is implemented with the financial support of the LIFE Programme of the European Union and Latvian State Regional Development Agency. This publication reflects only authors’ view. Neither CINEA (European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency) nor European Commission are responsible of any use that may be made, or the information contained therein.