Chrysoritis palmus

Chrysoritis palmus, the water opal, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in South Africa.

Chrysoritis palmus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Lycaenidae
Genus: Chrysoritis
Species:
C. palmus
Binomial name
Chrysoritis palmus
(Stoll, [1781])[1]
Synonyms
  • Papilio palmus Stoll, [1781]
  • Poecilmitis palmus
  • Poecilmitis palmus margueritae Dickson, 1982

The wingspan is 21–29 mm for males and 25–31 mm for females. Adults of C. p. palmus are on year from September to April, with a peak in December. The peak for C. p. margueritae is January to March. There are several generations per year.[2]

The larvae feed on Aspalathus sarcantha, Aspalathus carnosa, Chrysanthemoides monilifera, Berzelia intermedia, Berzelia lanuginosa and Berzelia abrotanoides. They are attended to by Crematogaster peringueyi ants.

Subspecies
  • Chrysoritis palmus palmus (Western Cape)
  • Chrysoritis palmus margueritae (Dickson, 1982) (Western Cape to Eastern Cape)
gollark: You *didn't* read the data they steganographically encoded in their messages?
gollark: ↓ things
gollark: They did say things.
gollark: As a result, bees (muonic) approach.
gollark: That's what I said.

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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