Chrysoritis swanepoeli (Dickson 1965)

Heath, Alan, 2023, Chrysoritis Butler (Papilionoidea: Lycaenidae: Aphnaeinae) - Part III: An integrative taxonomic revision, Metamorphosis 34 (1), pp. 11-28 : 24

Chrysoritis swanepoeli (Dickson 1965) .

Poecilmitis swanepoeli Dickson 1965: 160 .

Holotype: NHM, London. Type locality: “Prince Albert” .

MPT: low, medium and high elevation gullies. Host ants: Crem. castanea and Crem. alulai . Host plants: Thesium species ( Santalaceae ); also Tylecodon paniculatus (L.f.) Toelken ( Crassulaceae ) oviposition observed only. Final instar larva is shown in Fig. 17 .

Conservation status of C. s. swanepoeli : LC.

Taxonomy: In our sampling, C. swanepoeli s.s. (n = 2) consists of two haplotypes, one of which is shared with the single C. s. hyperion sample (larger blue circle, COI haplotype network; see also Table S 1 in QEA 22). Thus, swanepoeli and hyperion are indistinguishable in their COI sequences. From all collection material examined, together with limited DNA data, it is evident that hyperion is no more than a variable melanistic form of C. swanepoeli . However, further sampling is required to confirm this view; hence hyperion provisionally remains as a subspecies of C. swanepoeli . Conservation status of C. s. hyperion: LC – Rare.

Figures

Figure 17 – C. swanepoeli final instar (Schoemanspoort).