Small Copper Lycaena phlaeas

Don't let the size fool you. This is one of the most ferociously territorial insects in the butterfly world — males launch themselves at bees, larger butterflies, and even passing birds that stray into their patch of sunlight, then return to the exact same perch after every chase like tiny, copper-colored bouncers.

Those fiery forewings inspired a name derived from the Greek word meaning "to burn up" — a perfect description of that flame-colored wing surface. Multiple generations hatch each year from spring through autumn, so there's nearly always one on the wing. Females are slightly larger and more heavily spotted than males, and both sexes have a fondness for basking on bare soil where the sun hits hardest.