Chrysoritis

Chrysoritis, commonly called opals or coppers, is a genus of butterflies in the family Lycaenidae found mainly in southern Africa and particularly South Africa.

Species

Species of the genus include:

The chrysaor species group:

• Chrysoritis aethon <small>(Trimen, 1887)</small> – Lydenburg opal
• Chrysoritis aureus <small>(van Son, 1966)</small> – Heidelberg copper or golden opal
• Chrysoritis lycegenes <small>(Trimen, 1874)</small> – Mooi River opal
• Chrysoritis lyncurium <small>(Trimen, 1868)</small> – Tsomo River opal or Tsomo River copper
• Chrysoritis midas <small>(Pennington, 1962)</small> – Midas opal
• Chrysoritis natalensis <small>(van Son, 1966)</small> – Natal opal
• Chrysoritis phosphor <small>(Trimen, 1866)</small> – scarce scarlet or golden flash

The chrysantas species group:

• Chrysoritis chrysantas <small>(Trimen, 1868)</small> – Karoo daisy copper

The oreas species group:

• Chrysoritis dicksoni <small>(Gabriel, 1947)</small> – Dickson's copper or Dickson's strandveld copper
• Chrysoritis oreas <small>(Trimen, 1891)</small> – Drakensberg copper or Drakensberg daisy copper

The pyroeis species group:

• Chrysoritis felthami <small>(Trimen, 1904)</small> – Feltham's opal
• Chrysoritis pyroeis <small>(Trimen, 1864)</small> – sand-dune opal

The thysbe species group:

• Chrysoritis adonis <small>(Pennington, 1962)</small> – Adonis opal
• Chrysoritis aridus <small>(Pennington, 1953)</small> – Namaqua opal
• Chrysoritis azurius <small>(Swanepoel, 1975)</small> – azure opal
• Chrysoritis beaufortius <small>(Dickson, 1966)</small> – Beaufort's opal
• Chrysoritis beulah <small>(Quickelberge, 1966)</small> – Beulah's opal
• Chrysoritis blencathrae <small>(Heath & Ball, 1992)</small> – Waaihoek opal
• Chrysoritis braueri <small>(Pennington, 1967)</small> – Brauer's opal
• Chrysoritis brooksi <small>Riley, 1938</small> – Brook's opal
• Chrysoritis chrysaor <small>(Trimen, 1864)</small> – golden copper or burnished opal
• Chrysoritis daphne <small>(Dickson, 1975)</small> – Daphne's opal
• Chrysoritis endymion <small>(Pennington, 1962)</small> – Endymion opal
• Chrysoritis irene <small>(Pennington, 1968)</small> – Irene's opal
• Chrysoritis nigricans <small>(Aurivillius, 1924)</small> – dark opal
• Chrysoritis orientalis <small>(Swanepoel, 1976)</small> – eastern opal
• Chrysoritis palmus <small>(Stoll, [1781])</small> – water opal
• Chrysoritis pan <small>(Pennington, 1962)</small> – Pan opal
• Chrysoritis pelion <small>(Pennington, 1953)</small> – Machacha opal
• Chrysoritis penningtoni <small>(Riley, 1938)</small> – Pennington's opal
• Chrysoritis perseus <small>(Henning, 1977)</small> – Perseus opal
• Chrysoritis plutus <small>(Pennington, 1967)</small> – Plutus opal
• Chrysoritis pyramus <small>(Pennington, 1953)</small> – Pyramus opal
• Chrysoritis rileyi <small>(Dickson, 1966)</small> – Riley's opal
• Chrysoritis swanepoeli <small>(Dickson, 1965)</small> – Swanepoel's opal
• Chrysoritis thysbe <small>(Linnaeus, 1764)</small> – opal copper or common opal
• Chrysoritis trimeni <small>(Riley, 1938)</small> – Trimen's opal
• Chrysoritis turneri <small>(Riley, 1938)</small> – Turner's opal
• Chrysoritis uranus <small>(Pennington, 1962)</small> – Uranus opal
• Chrysoritis violescens <small>(Dickson, 1971)</small> – violet opal

The zeuxo species group:

• Chrysoritis coetzeri <small>Dickson & Wykeham, 1994</small> (may be included in C. zonarius)
• Chrysoritis cotrelli – Cotrell's daisy copper (may be included in C. zeuxo)
• Chrysoritis zeuxo <small>(Linnaeus, 1764)</small> – jitterbug daisy copper
• Chrysoritis zonarius <small>(Riley, 1938)</small> – donkey daisy copper

Poecilmitis

Formerly separated in genus Poecilmitis:

• Poecilmitis adonis now C. adonis
• Poecilmitis aureus now C. aureus
• Poecilmitis azurius now C. azurius
• Poecilmitis balli now C. pyramus balli
• Poecilmitis daphne now C. daphne
• Poecilmitis endymion now C. endymion
• Poecilmitis henningi now C. pan henningi
• Poecilmitis hyperion now C. swanepoeli hyperion
• Poecilmitis irene now C. irene
• Poecilmitis kaplani now C. beaufortius stepheni
• Poecilmitis lyncurium now C. lyncurium
• Poecilmitis lyndseyae now C. thysbe bamptoni
• Poecilmitis orientalis now C. orientalis
• Poecilmitis pan now C. pan
• Poecilmitis penningtoni now C. penningtoni
• Poecilmitis pyramus now C. pyramus
• Poecilmitis rileyi now C. rileyi
• Poecilmitis stepheni now C. beaufortius stepheni
• Poecilmitis swanepoeli now C. swanepoeli
• Poecilmitis trimeni now C. trimeni
• Poecilmitis wykehami now C. turneri wykehami

References