Chrysoritis pan

Pan Opal
Set of C. p. pan
Conservation status
Data Deficient  (IUCN 2.3)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Lycaenidae
Genus:	Chrysoritis
Species:	C. pan
Binomial name
Chrysoritis pan (Pennington, 1962)
Synonyms
Poecilmitis pan Pennington, 1962 Poecilmitis lysander Pennington, 1962 Poecilmitis atlantica Dickson, 1966 Poecilmitis lysander hantamsbergae Dickson, 1978 Poecilmitis williami Heath, 1997 Poecilmitis dicksoni Henning, 1977 Poecilmitis henningi Bampton, 1981

The Pan Opal (Chrysoritis pan) is a species of butterfly in the Lycaenidae family. It is endemic to South Africa, where it is found in the West Cape, the North Cape and the East Cape.

The wingspan is 20–28 mm for males and 22–32 mm for females. Adults are on wing from August to May, with peaks from October to November and from February to March.^[1]

The larvae feed on Osteospermum species, Chrysanthemoides incana and Zygophyllum retrofractum. They are attended to by Crematogaster liengmei ants.

Subspecies

• Chrysoritis pan pan (South Africa: Western Cape Province)
• Chrysoritis pan lysander (Pennington, 1962) (South Africa: Eastern Cape Province, Western Cape Province, Northern Cape Province)
• Chrysoritis pan henningi (Bampton, 1981) (South Africa: Western Cape Province)

References

1. Woodhall, S. Field Guide to Butterflies of South Africa, Cape Town: Struik Publishers, 2005.

• Gimenez Dixon, M. 1996. Poecilmitis pan. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 31 July 2007.