Chrysoritis thysbe explained

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.^[1]

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)

(This subspecies was formerly treated as the species Chrysoritis bamptoni)

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

Notes and References

1. Book: Woodhall, Steve . Field Guide to Butterflies of South Africa . 2005 . Cape Town, South Africa . Struik . 978-1-86872-724-7 .