Chrysoritis nigricans

Chrysoritis nigricans, the dark opal, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae found only in South Africa.

Dark opal
Set of C. n. zwartbergae
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Lycaenidae
Genus: Chrysoritis
Species:
C. nigricans
Binomial name
Chrysoritis nigricans
Synonyms
  • Phasis thysbe var. nigricans Aurivillius, 1924
  • Poecilmitis nigricans
  • Poecilmitis nigricans zwartbergae Dickson, 1982
  • Poecilmitis nigricans rubrescens

The wingspan is 22–33 mm for males and 23–38 mm for females. Flight period is multi-brooded from September to April, peaking October/November and March.[2]

Larva feed on Thesium species, Osteospermum polygaloides, and Zygophyllum species. They are associated with ants of the genus Crematogaster.

Subspecies
  • Chrysoritis nigricans nigricans (South Africa: Western Cape province)
  • Chrysoritis nigricans zwartbergae (Dickson, 1982) (South Africa: Western Cape province)
  • Chrysoritis nigricans rubrescens Heath & Pringle, 2007 (South Africa: Western Cape province)

References
  1. Chrysoritis at Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms
  2. Woodhall, Steve (2005). Field Guide to Butterflies of South Africa. Cape Town, South Africa: Struik. ISBN 978-1-86872-724-7.


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