Chrysoritis lycegenes

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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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