Kingdom Animalia Family Lycaenidae Scientific name Poecilmitis aureus Rank Species | Class Insecta Genus Chrysoritis Phylum Arthropoda Order Butterflies and moths | |
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Similar Chrysoritis, Chrysoritis pan, Butterflies and moths, Chrysoritis oreas, Chrysoritis uranus | ||
Chrysoritis aureus, the Heidelberg copper or golden opal, is a species of butterfly in the Lycaenidae family. It is endemic to South Africa, where it is found in montane grassland in Gauteng and Mpumalanga provinces.
The wingspan is 24–28 mm for males and 28–32 mm for females. Adults are on wing year-round with peaks in December and March.
The larvae feed on Clutia pulchella varieties. They are attended to by Crematogaster liengmei ants.
References
Chrysoritis aureus Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA