Dickson's copper

For the other butterfly with this common name, see Aloeides dicksoni.

Dickson's copper or Dickson's strandveld copper (Chrysoritis dicksoni) is a species of butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is endemic to South Africa, where it is only known inland from Witsand in a single spot in fynbos. Previously, it was also found north of Cape Town. It is sometimes separated in the monotypic genus Oxychaeta.^{[citation needed]}

Dickson's copper
Conservation status
Critically Endangered  (IUCN 3.1)^[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Lycaenidae
Genus:	Chrysoritis
Species:	C. dicksoni
Binomial name
Chrysoritis dicksoni (Gabriel, 1947)
Synonyms
Phasis dicksoni Gabriel, 1947 Oxychaeta dicksoni (Gabriel, 1947)

The wingspan is 26–35 mm for males and 33–40 mm for females. Adults are on wing from late July to mid-September. There is one generation per year.^[2]

The larvae feed through trophallaxis from Crematogaster peringueyi ants.

References

 

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Dickson's copper.

 

Wikispecies has information related to Dickson's copper.

1. Edge, D.A. (2020). "Chrysoritis dicksoni". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020: e.T15767A168308879. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T15767A168308879.en. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
2. Woodhall, Steve (2005). Field Guide to Butterflies of South Africa. Cape Town, South Africa: Struik. ISBN 978-1-86872-724-7.