From Wikipedia - Reading time: 4 min
Species of butterfly
| Opal copper
|
|
| Chrysoritis thysbe
|
Scientific classification
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| Kingdom:
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Animalia
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| Phylum:
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Arthropoda
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| Class:
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Insecta
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| Order:
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Lepidoptera
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| Family:
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Lycaenidae
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| Genus:
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Chrysoritis
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| Species:
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C. thysbe
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| Binomial name
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Chrysoritis thysbe
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| Synonyms
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- Papilio thysbe Linnaeus, 1764
- Papilio nais Cramer, 1775
- Papilio splendens Swainson, 1833
- Phasis osbecki Aurivillius, 1882
- Poecilmitis psyche Pennington, 1967
- Poecilmitis bamptoni Dickson, 1976
- Poecilmitis lyndseyae Henning, 1979
- Poecilmitis thysbe schloszae Dickson, 1994
- Poecilmitis whitei Dickson, 1994
- Poecilmitis mithras Pringle, 1995
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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[edit]
- 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
- 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
References[edit]
- ^ 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.