Chrysoritis turneri

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Turner's opal
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Lycaenidae
Genus: Chrysoritis
Species:
C. turneri
Binomial name
Chrysoritis turneri
(Riley, 1938)[1]
Synonyms
  • Poecilmitis turneri Riley, 1938
  • Poeclimitis wykehami Dickson, 1980

Chrysoritis turneri, the Turner's opal, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in South Africa.

The wingspan is 22โ€“26 mm for males and 33โ€“40 mm for females. Adults are on year from September to April, with peaks in October and February (for C. t. turneri) and December (for C. t. amatola).[2]

The larvae feed on Zygophyllum species, Dimorphotheca cuneata and Osteospermum. They are attended to by Crematogaster liengmei ants.

Subspecies

  • Chrysoritis turneri turneri (Western Cape, southern Namaqualand)
  • Chrysoritis turneri amatola (Dickson & McMaster, 1967) (Eastern Cape, Lesotho)
  • Chrysoritis turneri wykehami (Dickson, 1980) (South Africa: Northern Cape)

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.