Creatures in Crisis
Photograph of Chrysoritis aureus (Chrysoritis aureus), recorded as Endangered
Chrysoritis aureus (Chrysoritis aureus). Image via Wikimedia Commons.

Endangered

Chrysoritis aureus

Chrysoritis aureus

Chrysoritis aureus is a gossamer-winged butterfly in the family Lycaenidae (order Lepidoptera), recorded as Endangered.

Status
Endangered
Scientific name
Chrysoritis aureus
Taxonomy
Insecta · Lepidoptera · Lycaenidae · Poecilmitis

The gossamer-winged butterfly

The wingspan is 24–28 mm for males and 28–32 mm for females.

Range and habitat

It is endemic to South Africa, where it is found in montane grassland in Gauteng and Mpumalanga provinces.

Pins are Wikidata “endemic to” fields. Orange dots, when present, are GBIF occurrence tiles — survey bias included.

Diet

The larvae feed on Clutia pulchella varieties.

In crisis

Named moths and butterflies with a high threat category are often known from a small range and a thin series. Host-plant loss leaves little to recount.

Chrysoritis aureus is Endangered on this catalog because that is the IUCN category stored on Wikidata. Confirm the official criteria and any later count on iucnredlist.org.

Sources

Written for this catalog from the English Wikipedia article on Chrysoritis aureus, Wikidata item Q4764351. Family and order context is original field-guide writing about the group, not a copied assessment of this one species. Wikipedia text is CC BY-SA. Not an IUCN assessment. Counts, when quoted, can change — confirm them on the recovery programme and on iucnredlist.org.

Photograph via Wikimedia Commons. Wikipedia · Wikidata · IUCN Red List.

Same genus

Photograph of Chrysoritis rileyi (Chrysoritis rileyi), recorded as EndangeredEN

Chrysoritis rileyi

Chrysoritis rileyi
Photograph of Vaquita (Phocoena sinus), recorded as Critically EndangeredCR

Vaquita

Phocoena sinus
Photograph of Javan rhinoceros (Rhinoceros sondaicus), recorded as Critically EndangeredCR

Javan rhinoceros

Rhinoceros sondaicus
Photograph of Sumatran orangutan (Pongo abelii), recorded as Critically EndangeredCR

Sumatran orangutan

Pongo abelii

Quick answers

What is Chrysoritis aureus?
Chrysoritis aureus is a gossamer-winged butterfly in the family Lycaenidae (order Lepidoptera).
What is the conservation status of Chrysoritis aureus?
Endangered, as the IUCN category stored on Wikidata for Chrysoritis aureus. Confirm the official assessment on iucnredlist.org.
Where does Chrysoritis aureus live?
It is endemic to South Africa, where it is found in montane grassland in Gauteng and Mpumalanga provinces.
Why is Chrysoritis aureus in crisis?
Named moths and butterflies with a high threat category are often known from a small range and a thin series. Host-plant loss leaves little to recount.
Is this the IUCN Red List page for Chrysoritis aureus?
No. This is a researched catalog account. The Red List is the assessment.
Is Chrysoritis aureus a pet?
An animal on this catalog is in crisis in the wild. Keeping one is usually the wrong question.