Chrysoritis orientalis

Chrysoritis orientalis
Conservation status
Vulnerable (IUCN 2.3)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Lycaenidae
Genus:	Chrysoritis
Species:	C. orientalis
Binomial name
*Chrysoritis orientalis* (Swanepoel, 1976)
Synonyms
Poecilmitis orientalis Swanepoel, 1976

Chrysoritis orientalis, the eastern opal, is a species of butterfly in the Lycaenidae family. It is endemic to South Africa, where it is found on the southern Drakensberg in KwaZulu-Natal.

The wingspan is 18–22 mm for males and 20–24 mm for females. Adults are on wing from October to January, with a peak in December. There is one generation per year.^[1]

The larvae feed on Thesium species. They are attended to by Crematogaster liengmei ants.

References

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

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

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