Chrysoritis thysbe
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
Chrysoritis thysbe, the opal copper or common opal, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in South Africa. The wingspan is 24–32 mm for males and 23–35 mm for females. Adults are on wing year-round with peaks in October and March.
The larvae feed on Chrysanthemoides incana, C. monilifera, Osteospermum polygaloides, Lebeckia plukenetiana, Aspalathus, Zygophyllum and Thesium species. The pupa of C. thysbe osbecki is found on the trunk of various plants like Tylecodon paniculatus, Roepera and Thesium species, all attended to by Crematogaster peringueyi ants, similar to C. thysbe psyche.
Range: from Bitterfontein south to Nardouwsberg in the Western Cape Chrysoritis thysbe subsp. bamptoni (Dickson, 1976) (This subspecies was formerly treated as the species Chrysoritis bamptoni) Range: Hondeklipbaai area, inland to Wallekraal in the Northern Cape
Chrysoritis thysbe subsp. schloszae (Dickson... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Coast National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | Table Mountain National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cape Town | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Common Opal sighting in West Coast National Park on a given day, based on 9 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 20th most-seen of the 44 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.
October
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Common Opal in West Coast National Park on a given day, against under 5% in April–August and November–February, the lowest months. That is one of West Coast National Park's driest months, with about 15 mm of rain against 70 mm in June.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Common Opal sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Common Opal sightings, West Coast National Park has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Table Mountain National Park (South Africa, about 10%).
Same genus: Chrysoritis
The closest relatives of the Common Opal that you can see in West Coast National Park (genus Chrysoritis, Opal Coppers) are Pan Opal (about 20%) and Donkey Daisy Copper (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Common Opal is recorded against all the insects logged in West Coast National Park (9 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
