Lycaena is a genus of butterflies. The genus range is Holarctic, with the exception of four species found in New Zealand, two in South Africa, one in New Guinea and one in Java. It is commonly divided into several subgenera, such as Antipodolycaena. Many formerly independent genera are now subsumed within Lycaena; the genus Gaiedes may also belong here. Many of the subgenera, species groups and species listed here may be synonyms. Species Listed alphabetically within groups: Subgenus Tharsalea Scudder, 1876: Lycaena arota (Boisduval, 1852) – tailed copper Subgenus Chalceria Scudder, 1876: The thaeides species group: Lycaena dione (Scudder, 1868) Lycaena editha (Mead, 1878) – Edith's copper California, Montana, Wyoming, Nevada Lycaena gorgon (Boisduval, 1852) – gorgon copper Nevada, California, Oregon Lycaena xanthoides (Boisduval, 1852) – great gray copper California The chalceria species group: Lycaena ferrisi Johnson & Balogh, 1977 – Ferris' copper Arizona Lycaena heteronea Boisduval, 1858 – blue copper Lycaena rubidus (Behr, 1866) – ruddy copper Subgenus Epidemia Scudder, 1876: The hyllolycaena species group: Lycaena hyllus (Cramer, [1775]) – bronze copper The epidemia species group: Lycaena dorcas Kirby, 1837 – dorcas copper or cinquefoil copper Lycaena dospassosi McDunnough, 1940 Lycaena epixanthe (Boisduval & Leconte, [1835]) – bog copper, cranberry-bog copper Lycaena helloides (Boisduval, 1852) – purplish copper Lycaena nivalis (Boisduval, 1869) – nivalis copper Lycaena mariposa (Reakirt, 1866) – mariposa copper Subgenus Hermelycaena Miller & Brown, 1979: Lycaena hermes (Edwards, 1870) – Hermes copper Subgenus Antipodolycaena Smart, 1975: Lycaena boldenarum White, 1862 New Zealand Lycaena feredayi (Bates, 1867) – glade copper Lycaena rauparaha (Fereday, 1877) New Zealand Lycaena salustius (Fabricius, 1793) – common copper Unnamed subgenus: The heodes species group: Lycaena ottomanus (Lefèbvre, 1830) – Grecian copper Lycaena tityrus (Poda, 1761) – sooty copper Lycaena virgaureae (Linnaeus, 1758) – scarce copper The palaeochrysophanus species group: Lycaena candens (Herrich-Schäffer, [1844]) South Europe, Caucasus, Transcaucasia Lycaena hippothoe (Linnaeus, 1761) – purple-edged copper Subgenus Lycaena Fabricius, 1807: The helle species group: Lycaena helle ([Schiffermüller], 1775) – violet copper Lycaena irmae Bailey, 1932 South Tibet Lycaena li (Oberthür, 1886) West China Lycaena ouang (Oberthür, 1891) Yunnan Lycaena pang (Oberthür, 1886) West China, Tibet Lycaena svenhedini (Nordström, 1935) China Lycaena tseng (Oberthür, 1886) North Burma to West China The phlaeas species group: Lycaena cupreus (Edwards, 1870) – lustrous copper Lycaena kiyokoae Sakai, 1978 Afghanistan Lycaena phlaeas (Linnaeus, 1761) – small copper, common copper, American copper Lycaena sichuanica Bozano & Weidenhoffer, 2001 The thersamolycaena