Chrysoritis lycegenes

Chrysoritis lycegenes
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Lycaenidae
Genus: Chrysoritis
Species: C. lycegenes
Binomial name
Chrysoritis lycegenes
(Trimen, 1874)[1]
Synonyms
  • Zeritis lycegenes Trimen, 1874
  • Poecilmitis lycegenes

The Mooi River Opal (Chrysoritis lycegenes) is a butterfly of the Lycaenidae family. It is found in South Africa, where it is known from northern KwaZulu-Natal to Mpumalanga, along the Drakensberg escarpment to Mariepskop in the Limpopo Province.

The wingspan is 21–24 mm for males and 23–26 mm for females. Adults are on wing from September to October and from December to January. There are two generations per year.[2]

The larvae feed on Diospyros austro-africana, Diospyros lycioides, Myrsine africa, Rhus species and Chrysanthemoides monilifera. They are attended to by Crematogaster liengmei ants.

It is named after the Mooi River in KwaZulu-Natal.

References

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