Chrysoritis irene

Chrysoritis irene,[1] the Irene's opal, is a species of butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is endemic to South Africa, where it is found in fynbos on the Du Toit's Kloof mountains and Rivieronderendberge in the Western Cape.

Chrysoritis irene
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Lycaenidae
Genus: Chrysoritis
Species:
C. irene
Binomial name
Chrysoritis irene
(Pennington, 1968)
Synonyms
  • Poecilmitis irene Pennington, 1968

The wingspan is 30–32 mm for males and 32–34 mm for females. Adults are on wing from October to April, with peaks in November and March. There are multiple generations per year.[2]

The larvae probably feed on Dimorphotheca species.

References
  1. Chrysoritis irene (Pennington, 1968) 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.
  • Gimenez Dixon, M. 1996. Poecilmitis irene. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 31 July 2007.


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