Chrysoritis nigricans

Chrysoritis nigricans
Dark Opal
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Lycaenidae
Genus: Chrysoritis
Species: C. nigricans
Binomial name
Chrysoritis nigricans
(Aurivillius, 1924)[1]
Subspecies
  • C. n. nigricans
  • C. n. zwartbergae (Dickson, 1982)
  • C. n. rubrescens Heath & Pringle, 2007
Synonyms
  • Phasis thysbe var. nigricans

Dark Opal (Chrysoritis nigricans) is a butterfly of the Lycaenidae family found only in South Africa.

The wingspan is 22–33 mm for males and 23–38 mm for females. Flight period is multi-brooded from September to April, peaking October/November and March.[2]

Larva feed on Thesium spp., Osteospermum polygaloides, and Zygophyllum spp. They are associated with Crematogaster spp. ants.

References

  1. ^ Chrysoritis, Site of Markku Savela
  2. ^ Woodhall, S. Field Guide to Butterflies of South Africa, Cape Town: Struik Publishers, 2005.