Chrysoritis swanepoeli

Swanepoel's opal
Conservation status
Endangered  (IUCN 2.3)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Lycaenidae
Genus:	Chrysoritis
Species:	C. swanepoeli
Binomial name
Chrysoritis swanepoeli (Dickson, 1965)
Synonyms
Poecilmitis swanepoeli Dickson, 1965 Poecilmitis hyperion Dickson, 1975

Chrysoritis swanepoeli, the Swanepoel's opal, is a species of butterfly in the Lycaenidae family. It is endemic to South Africa, where it is found in the Swartberg Pass and Schoemanskloof, the Groot Swartberg, the Huis River Pass and Gamkaskloof in the Western Cape.

The wingspan is 23–26 mm for males and 24–34 mm for females. Adults are on wing from October to January. There is one extended generation per year.^[1]

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

Subspecies

• Chrysoritis swanepoeli swanepoeli (South Africa: Western Cape)
• Chrysoritis swanepoeli hyperion (Dickson, 1975) (South Africa: Western Cape)

References

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

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