Chrysoritis thysbe

Opal copper
	Chrysoritis thysbe
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Lycaenidae
Genus:	Chrysoritis
Species:	C. thysbe
Binomial name
	Chrysoritis thysbe; (Linnaeus, 1764)[1]
Synonyms
	Papilio thysbe Linnaeus, 1764; Papilio nais Cramer, 1775; Papilio splendens Swainson, 1833; Phasis osbecki Aurivillius, 1882; Poecilmitis psyche Pennington, 1967; Poecilmitis bamptoni Dickson, 1976; Poecilmitis lyndseyae Henning, 1979; Poecilmitis thysbe schloszae Dickson, 1994; Poecilmitis whitei Dickson, 1994; Poecilmitis mithras Pringle, 1995;

Chrysoritis thysbe, the opal copper or common opal, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in South Africa.

The wingspan is 24–32 mm for males and 23–35 mm for females. Adults are on wing year-round with peaks in October and March.[2]

The larvae feed on Chrysanthemoides incana, C. monilifera, Osteospermum polygaloides, Lebeckia plukenetiana, Aspalathus, Zygophyllum and Thesium species. They are attended to by Crematogaster peringueyi ants.

Subspecies

Range: from Bitterfontein south to Nardouwsberg in the Western Cape

Range: Hondeklipbaai area, inland to Wallekraal in the Northern Cape

Range: Moorreesburg area in the Western Cape

Range: Port Elizabeth area in the Eastern Cape

Range: Stilbaai to Brenton-on-Sea in the Western Cape

Chrysoritis at Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms
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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