Chrysoritis nigricans

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; (Aurivillius, 1924)
Synonyms
	Phasis thysbe var. nigricans Aurivillius, 1924; Poecilmitis nigricans; Poecilmitis nigricans zwartbergae Dickson, 1982; Poecilmitis nigricans rubrescens;

Dark Opal (Chrysoritis nigricans) is a butterfly of the Lycaenidae family found only in South Africa.

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 spp., Osteospermum polygaloides, and Zygophyllum spp. They are associated with Crematogaster spp. ants.

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

^ Chrysoritis, Site of Markku Savela
^ Woodhall, S. Field Guide to Butterflies of South Africa, Cape Town: Struik Publishers, 2005.

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[1] Chrysoritis, Site of Markku Savela

[Woodhall-2] Woodhall, S. Field Guide to Butterflies of South Africa, Cape Town: Struik Publishers, 2005.

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