Butterfly Tour Report Ghana 26 Okt-7 Nov Larsen Sáfián BCGHANA

Table 1 summarizes the species recorded from individual localities during the trip and
compares them to the recorded totals of these. We have not yet re-calculated the estimated
totals for the localities in question. However, Atewa probably has about 700 species, Kakum
650, Bobiri and Ankasa 630, Aburi more than 400, and Shai Hills a bit more than 150. The
lacking positive records are all the rarest and most difficult to catch, so at this point further
progress becomes a very slow process.
Table 1. Total species recorded from the localities visited by the tour,
number of species recorded by the team, and new records to the individual
localities (a few additional species have been added since).
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Locality Current Recorded % of New
total on tour known total records
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Shai Hills 114 56 49% 14
Aburi Bot. Gardens 316 134 42% 8
Atewa Range 604 183 30% 1
Bobiri Forest 469 196 42% 9
Kakum NP 509 138 27% 5
Ankasa NP** 405 76 19% 2
Totals Ghana* 935 345 37% 0
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* Collins, de Jong, Boersma, and local collectors continued collecting till late
November, reaching a total of 410+ species for the entire month starting 27 October.
** Larsen was not present for most of the Ankasa visit and weather was indifferent,
resulting in a low total.
In the Excel appendix the species recorded during the tour from different localities are given
in red, compared with the total list of known species. Also included are the results from the
field trip following the Butterfly Conference, given in green for comparison. At Bobiri Steve
Collins and two local collectors for the African Butterfly Research Institute, Nairobi recorded
no less than 250 species during 2.5 days (our team recorded almost 200 during 1.5 days).
The most interesting records from the trip were:
Cellular Harlequin - Mimeresia cellularis was found on Atewa, the first time Larsen ever
saw the species west of the Dahomey Gap. There are a few records from the Volta Region and
just one previous from Atewa. Its close relative, M. moyambina was caught only three times
during the 20 th century, the type from Sierra Leone, three from Cote d’Ivoire, and a few from
Atewa. Both are readily identifiable as unusual butterflies and it is amazing that they are seen
so rarely, even in Ghana’s best exploited locality.
Likpe Sapphire - Iolaus likpe was found dead on the forest floor close to the guesthouse in
Bobiri Butterfly Sanctuary. This is only the second specimen from west of the Dahomey Gap,
the first one was caught by Sáfi (which was also the first recorded female) just two years ago.
The male holotype of this extremely rare species was bred by Father Theodore Maessen in