Chrysoritis zonarius, the donkey daisy copper or Coetzer's daisy copper, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in South Africa, along the coast and inland from the Cape Peninsula, north-west to Paleisheuwel and Lambert's Bay and along the hills to the Western Cape.

Donkey daisy copper
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Lycaenidae
Genus: Chrysoritis
Species:
C. zonarius
Binomial name
Chrysoritis zonarius
(Riley, 1938)[1]
Synonyms
  • Phasis zeuxo zonarius Riley, 1938
  • Chrysoritis coetzeri Dickson & Wykeham, 1994 – Coetzer's daisy copper[2]

The wingspan is 18–22 mm for males and 20–24 mm for females. Adults are on wing from September to November. There is one generation per year.[2]

The larvae feed on Chrysanthemoides incana. They are attended to by Crematogaster peringueyi ants.[2]

Subspecies

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  • Chrysoritis zonarius zonarius (South Africa: Western Cape)
  • Chrysoritis zonarius coetzeri Dickson & Wykeham, 1994 (South Africa: Northern Cape)

References

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  1. ^ Chrysoritis at Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms
  2. ^ a b c Woodhall, Steve (2005). Field Guide to Butterflies of South Africa. Cape Town, South Africa: Struik. ISBN 978-1-86872-724-7.