Chrysoritis dicksoni (Gabriel 1947)

Heath, Alan, 2023, Chrysoritis Butler (Papilionoidea: Lycaenidae: Aphnaeinae) - Part III: An integrative taxonomic revision, Metamorphosis 34 (1), pp. 11-28 : 14

Chrysoritis dicksoni (Gabriel 1947) .

Phasis dicksoni Gabriel 1947: 60 .

Placed in Oxychaeta by Tite & Dickson (1973) and later in Chrysoritis by Heath (1997) based mainly on its genitalia. Molecular support for this treatment was later provided by Rand et al. (2000) and TEA20/ QEA 22.

Holotype: NHM, London. Type locality: “Nr. Melkbosch Strand”.

Characters: Upper side copper-red, densely marked with black spots and broad black margins, especially on the forewing. Underside with a submarginal series of sagittate markings on both wings; hind wing with a dense pattern of browns and orange. Outer margin of forewings noticeably convex in both sexes; hind wing without tail or tornal development in either sex. Male genitalia: aedeagus lacks cornuti; apophysis on subunci vestigial or absent. Venation: forewing with twelve veins.

This is a subcoastal species that appears to be extinct at its previously known localities near Cape Town but currently thrives near Witsand on the South coast, albeit strictly monitored.

A partial account of the natural history of this insect was published by Clark & Dickson (1971), Heath & Brinkman (1995), and Heath (1998) and a more comprehensive one was summarised by Heath (2014); further natural history is discussed in QEA 22 and HEA23. Host ant: Crem. peringueyi . This is the largest and the only species of Chrysoritis known to be aphytophagous. Larval and pupal stages develop within the ants’ carton nest and food is provided by host ants at least partly by trophallaxis. The larvae are strictly sedentary. We propose here that trophic eggs are supplied by worker ants. (see HEA23). The DNO is present and active in the 2 nd and subsequent instars. The morphology of juvenile stages is illustrated in Clark & Dickson (1971: 210); Heath & Brinkman (1995); Heath (1998, 2014), and in Figs. 7D & 14 in HEA23. Male genitalia are illustrated in Fig. 1g in HEA23. The natural history of C. dicksoni is described in detail in HEA23.

Conservation status: CR.

Figures

Figure 1 – C. oreas (Bushman’s Nek). 1st instar (top) and ~4th instar (bottom). Not to scale.

Figure 7 – C. lyndseyae late instar with Crematogaster peringueyi host ants (Wallekraal).

Figure 14 – C. blencathrae final instar (Waaihoek Mt.). An egg of C. blencathrae is shown in Fig. 7C in HEA23.