| Opal copper | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Chrysoritis thysbe | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Lycaenidae |
| Genus: | Chrysoritis |
| Species: | C. thysbe |
| Binomial name | |
| Chrysoritis thysbe | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Chrysoritis thysbe, the opal copper or common opal, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in South Africa.
The wingspan is 24–32 mm for males and 23–35 mm for females. Adults are on wing year-round with peaks in October and March.[2]
The larvae feed on Chrysanthemoides incana, C. monilifera, Osteospermum polygaloides, Lebeckia plukenetiana, Aspalathus, Zygophyllum and Thesium species. They are attended to by Crematogaster peringueyi ants.
Subspecies
- Chrysoritis thysbe (nominate subspecies)
- Range: Cape Peninsula to Mossel Bay, north to Lamberts Bay, inland to Piketberg and Citrusdal
- Chrysoritis thysbe subsp. osbecki (Aurivillius, 1882)
- Chrysoritis thysbe subsp. psyche (Pennington, 1967)
- Range: from Bitterfontein south to Nardouwsberg in the Western Cape
- Chrysoritis thysbe subsp. bamptoni (Dickson, 1976)
- Range: Hondeklipbaai area, inland to Wallekraal in the Northern Cape
- Chrysoritis thysbe subsp. schloszae (Dickson, 1994)
- Range: Moorreesburg area in the Western Cape
- Chrysoritis thysbe subsp. whitei (Dickson, 1994)
- Range: Port Elizabeth area in the Eastern Cape
- Chrysoritis thysbe subsp. mithras (Pringle, 1995)
- Range: Stilbaai to Brenton-on-Sea in the Western Cape
- Nominate subsp.
C. t. subsp. osbecki
C. t. subsp. psyche
C. t. subsp. whitei
References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Chrysoritis thysbe.
Wikispecies has information related to Chrysoritis thysbe.
- ↑ Chrysoritis at Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms
- ↑ Woodhall, Steve (2005). Field Guide to Butterflies of South Africa. Cape Town, South Africa: Struik. ISBN 978-1-86872-724-7.
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