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A SURVEY OF BUTTERFLY FAUNA IN THE SACRED GROVE OF UMUAJA FOREST, SOUTHERN NIGERIA

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Cynthia Ojianwuna at Delta State University
Cynthia Ojianwuna
Tunde Amusan at Obafemi Awolowo University
Tunde Amusan
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Sacred groves in Africa have been widely adopted as an important strategy to assuage the loss of biodiversity. This has led to the protection of sacred groves (which are virgin forest with rich diversity) for their cultural, religious beliefs and taboos. This study represents the first butterfly survey of the Umuaja sacred grove and this was done with the aim of determining the diversity and abundance of butterflies in the grove as an estimate of the ecological status of the protected area. Sweep nets, fruit and rotten fish-baited traps were used to sample the butterflies from March-May, 2017. A total of 72 individuals, representing 14 species in 3 families (Nymphalidae Pieridae and Lyacenidae) were recorded in this study. Nymphalidae (92%) was the highest in terms of species richness (78.6%) and abundance (91.7) while Lycaenidae was the least (3%). Charaxes boueti (a typical bamboo forest species) was dominant with relative abundance of 30.6. Several forest indicator species such as the Melanitis leda, Bicyclus evadne elionas, Charaxes varanes, Melanitis libya, Eurema hecabe and Mylothris chloris were also recorded. Therefore, Umuaja sacred grove was considered to be in stable ecological condition based on the species composition, diversity and the species richness.
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158
Ethiopian Journal of Environmental Studies & Management 12(2): 158 – 166, 2019.
ISSN:1998-0507 doi: https://ejesm.org/doi/v12i2.4
Submitted: January 31, 2019 Accepted: April 15, 2019
A SURVEY OF BUTTERFLY FAUNA IN THE SACRED GROVE OF UMUAJA FOREST,
SOUTHERN NIGERIA
OJIANWUNA, C. C.
1
AND *AMUSAN, B. O.
2
1
Department of Animal and Environmental Biology, Delta State University, Abraka, Delta
State, Nigeria
2
Department of Zoology, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria
*Corresponding author: tundeamusan5@yahoo.com
Abstract
Sacred groves in Africa have been widely adopted as an important strategy to assuage the
loss of biodiversity. This has led to the protection of sacred groves (which are virgin forest
with rich diversity) for their cultural, religious beliefs and taboos. This study represents the
first butterfly survey of the Umuaja sacred grove and this was done with the aim of
determining the diversity and abundance of butterflies in the grove as an estimate of the
ecological status of the protected area. Sweep nets, fruit and rotten fish-baited traps were
used to sample the butterflies from March – May, 2017. A total of 72 individuals,
representing 14 species in 3 families (Nymphalidae Pieridae and Lyacenidae) were recorded
in this study. Nymphalidae (92%) was the highest in terms of species richness (78.6%) and
abundance (91.7) while Lycaenidae was the least (3%). Charaxes boueti (a typical bamboo
forest species) was dominant with relative abundance of 30.6. Several forest indicator
species such as the Melanitis leda, Bicyclus evadne elionas, Charaxes varanes, Melanitis
libya, Eurema hecabe and Mylothris chloris were also recorded. Therefore, Umuaja sacred
grove was considered to be in stable ecological condition based on the species composition,
diversity and the species richness.
Key Words: Butterfly, Diversity, Sacred Grove, Forest, Ecological Status
Introduction
Butterflies belong to an important
order of insects (Lepidoptera) studied and
documented globally since the 18
th
century (Ghazoul, 2002). They are
generally considered as surrogate
representatives of environmental quality
changes (Amusan et al., 2014). These
insects, especially the endemic species
have been widely used as indicators of
habitat biodiversity, because they respond
quickly to environmental changes and
taxa diversity (Ghazanfar et al., 2016).
Also, butterflies have been used as
important ‘model’ organisms used for
centuries, to investigate many areas of
biological research, including such
diverse fields as navigation, pest control,
mimicry, evolution, genetics, population
dynamics and biodiversity conservation
(Widhiono, 2015).
In Tropical Africa,
especially in Nigeria, conservation of
biodiversity in degrading forests have
been a major concern where a lot of forests
have been lost to deforestation and human
activities (Onyekwelu and Olusola, 2014).
This work is licensed to the publisher under the Creative Commons Attributions License 4.0
159
For instance, statistics from global forest
assessment revealed that Nigeria lost
about 410,000 ha (3.7%) of its natural
forest due to deforestation between 2000
and 2010 (FRA, 2010; FAO, 2011). This
has led to reduction in the abundance and
species richness or extinction of forest
dwelling species.
One of the indirect ways that
biodiversity has been preserved in local
communities is the establishment of
sacred groves. Sacred groves are usually
virgin forest with multi diversity that has
been protected by the local people for a
very long time for their cultural and
religious practices (Onyekwelu and
Olusola, 2014). These protected forests
are usually associated with traditional
regulations such as taboos, totems and
myths that limit human exploitation
within the areas. These regulations have
long preserved the ecological integrity of
the sacred forests and appear to play an
important role in the conservation of
biodiversity in the groves. In some regions
in this country, sacred groves represent
probably the only remaining examples of
old forest vegetation which retain rare and
endangered species. As such many of the
groves are described as “biodiversity
hotspots” (Myers et al. 2000). As a result,
these sacred groves clearly deserve
conservation attention and this is
necessitated by the declining cultural
practices, taboos and the increased
pressure for agricultural land.
The enormous importance of
butterflies has made its study receive
global attention and several research
efforts have revealed high diversity of
butterflies in various forests and
landscapes (Larsen, 1995; Gaude and
Janarthanam, 2015). Some of the few
available studies on butterflies in Nigeria
include; Perveen and Fazal (2013), Zarim
and Ahmed (2014), Amusan et al. (2014)
and Ogedengbe et al. (2014). However,
information on the ecological value of
sacred/protected forests in terms of its
biodiversity is limited because it is
difficult to access some of these sites.
Comprehensive and long term studies are
required to assess the diversity of insects
in sacred groves and other protected areas
in the country to assess the diversity of
insects in the areas in order to understand
the important role which the groves play
in the conservation of biodiversity. This
study is therefore aimed at providing a
checklist of species of butterflies
inhabiting the Umuaja sacred grove which
is a unique bamboo-dominated riparian
forest in the Niger Delta area of Southern
Nigeria. The abundance and diversity of
the species of butterflies will serve as a
good indication of the health of the
environment in and around the grove.
Materials and Methods
Study Area
Umuaja sacred grove is located in
Ukwuani Local Government Area in Delta
State. The grove covers Longitude 006
o
14′ - 006
o
19′ E and Latitude 05
o
56′- 5
o
63′ N (Fig. 1). River Ethiope (a very
important river in the Niger Delta Area)
takes its source from the grove and it flows
from the foot of a huge silk-cotton tree
(Ceiba pentandra). This river is believed
to be the deepest Inland waterway in
Africa. The river flows through different
towns such as Abraka, Eku and Sapele and
empties into the Benin River which
eventually empties into the Atlantic Ocean
at Koko.
The area is rich in green vegetation
and the grove contains varieties of tree
species which include mainly Bamboos
(Bambusa vulgaris), Palm tree (Elaeis
guineensis), Raphia palm (Raphia
A Survey of Butterfly Fauna in the Sacred Grove of Umuaja
Forest................Ojianwuna & Amusan
160
hookeri), Bush mango (Irvingia
gabonensis), Teak (Tectona grandis) and
a host of grasses of the Poacea family.
Although, the main occupations of the
indigenes of Umuaja community are
farming and fishing. However, these
activities are not allowed in the grove
because of its sacred nature.
Fig. 1: The location of Umuaja sacred grove in Delta State and Nigeria.
Sampling of Butterflies
Intensive sampling of butterflies was
carried out three times a week for 12
weeks (March – May 2017) using aerial
nets, fish and banana-baited traps.
Sampling of butterflies was usually
carried out between 7:00am and 10:00am
in the morning and between 4:00pm and
6:00pm in the evenings when the
butterflies are expected to be most active
(Zarim and Ahmed, 2014; Ojianwuna,
2015). The banana bait was prepared by
mashing the banana into smaller pieces.
Thereafter, a heap spoon of sugar, yeast
and 1 litre of Beer were mixed with the
banana to aid fermentation process. This
mixture was placed in an air-tight
container for three days to allow for
fermentation before use. The fish bait was
also prepared in the same manner. A total
of Eighteen (18) traps i.e nine (9) with
each bait type were used. The traps were
placed 10m apart from each other and
about 2m above ground under patches of
sunlight (Aduse-Poku and Doku-Marfo,
2007).
Species Handling and Identification
Standard field handling of specimens
was ensured by killing (pinch on the
thorax) and taken to the Laboratory where
Ethiopian Journal of Environmental Studies and Management Vol. 12 no.2 2019
161
they were set with entomological pins (No
3) on a setting board and kept in a dark
place to dry for one week (CSIRO, 2004).
The butterfly specimens were identified
using appropriate standard taxonomic
keys and guides (Larsen, 2005). After the
specimens have been identified, they were
kept in a display case and preserved with
naphthalene (Youdeowei, 1977).
Results
A total of 72 individuals were
recorded in this study. This comprised 14
species distributed in 3 families (Table 1).
Nymphalidae was the highest in terms of
species richness (78.6%) and abundance
(91.7) while Lycaenidae had the least
percentage of species and individuals (Fig.
2).
Table 1: Composition and abundance of butterflies in Umuaja sacred grove
Family Sub-family Species Common Names Relative
Abundance
Nymphalidae Charaxinae Charaxes boueti (Feisthamel, 1850)
Bamboo charaxes 30.6
Charaxes ameliae doumeti
(Henning, 1989)
Blue-spotted
charaxes
2.8
Charaxes tiridates tridates
(Cramer, 1777)
Splendid common
blue charaxes
16.7
Charaxes varanes vologeses
(Linnè, 1876)
Pearl charaxes 5.6
Satyrinae Melanitis leda (Linnè, 1758) Common evening
brown
13.9
Melanitis libya(Distant, 1882)
Velvet eyed
evening brown
2.8
Gnophodes betsimena parmeno
(Doubleday, 1849)
Yellow banded
evening brown
2.8
Bicyclus sandace (Hewitson, 1877) Dark vulga bush
brown
2.8
Bicyclus evadne elionas (Hewitson,
1866)
Small stately bush
brown
8.3
Limenitinidae Euphaedra medon medon
(Linnè, 1763)
Widespread
forester
2.8
Nymphalinidae Precis milonia milonia (Felder &
Felder, 1867)
Broad banded
commodore
2.8
Pieridae Pierinae Mylothris chloris chloris
(Fabricius, 1775)
Dotted boarder 2.8
Coliadinae Eurema hecabe solifera
(Butler, 1875)
Common grass
yellow
2.8
Lycaenidae Liphyrinae Aslauga vininga vininga
(Hewitson, 1875)
Central aslauga 2.8
A Survey of Butterfly Fauna in the Sacred Grove of Umuaja
Forest................Ojianwuna & Amusan
162
Fig 2: Abundance of butterflies (families) in the Umuaja grove, Delta State, Nigeria.
The identified species are distributed
in 7 Subfamilies namely; Charaxinae,
Satyrinae, Limentidinae, Nymphalinae,
Pierinae, Coeliadinae and Liphyrinae.
Analysis of the relative abundance of the
recorded species showed that Charaxes
boueti was dominant in the grove with a
relative abundance of 30.6. Species which
occurred with the least relative abundance
are; Charaxes amelia, Gnophodes
betsimena, Eurema medon, Bicyclus
sandace, Precis milonia, Mylothris
chloris, Eurema hecabe and Aslauga
vininga. The diversity indices showed that
species richness and diversity was highest
in March while May had the least species
diversity and richness (Table 2).
Table 2: Diversity of Butterflies in Umuaja grove, March –May, 2017.
Months Simson’s Index Margalef Menhinicks
March 9.35 1.95 1.33
April 6.21 1.40 1.00
May 2.13 0.84 0.67
Discussion
According to Larsen (2005), about
1500 butterfly species have been recorded
in West Africa and about 1000 species of
have been reported in Nigeria. This
implied that the estimated abundance of
butterflies in this study accounted for
about 0.93% of butterflies recorded in
West Africa and about 1.4% of total
butterflies that have been reported in
Nigeria. This suggested that the grove can
be considered fairly rich in terms of
species diversity when compared with
other similar studies such as Ramesh et al.
(2010), Addai and Baidoo (2013) and
Saikia (2014). The fairly rich fauna may
be attributed may be attributed to the
homogeneity nature of the vegetation
(mainly bamboo) in the groove. Vu and
Vu (2011) had reported that forests
dominated by bamboo usually have low
species diversity compared to natural
Nymphalidae
Pieridae
Lycaenidae
Ethiopian Journal of Environmental Studies and Management Vol. 12 no.2 2019
163
undisturbed forests. Another factor that
could have contributed to the low species
diversity is the reduced light penetration
as a result of dense canopy formed by the
bamboo vegetation in the groove. Studies
have shown that light is an important
factor which limit butterfly diversity and
assemblage as they are known to be most
active during sunny weather (Hill et al.,
2001).
However, the high number of
individuals may be attributed to the
presence of River Ethiope which served as
a source of water within the grove.
Another possible reason for the high
number of individuals recorded in the
grove is the nature of the habitat which
supports lower story and undergrowth
vegetation, muds and sands with minerals.
All these are potential food sources for
butterflies and thus could have been
responsible for the high number of
butterflies resident in the grove.
The occurrence of Nymphalidae as the
most abundant and diverse family
corroborate the existing body of data that
reported Nymphalidae as the most diverse
and abundant family in forests in Southern
part of Nigeria (Nganso et al., 2012;
Amusan et al., 2014). Other studies in
which Nymphalidae occurred with the
highest abundance and diversity include;
Jothimani et al. (2014), Kurmar and
Murugesan (2014) and Widhiono (2015).
Although, Nwosu and Iwu (2011) reported
a very low number of butterflies in the
family Nymphalidae in a similar forest
area. The low number recorded in the
study was attributed to low density of host
plants and nectar plants (Tiple, 2009). The
high number of butterflies in
Nymphalidae has implications for
pollination in this area because these
species have been known to be
exceptional fruit-feeding butterflies.
Therefore, the high number of
Nymphalidae recorded in this study may
be attributed to the presence of rotten
fruits, carrions, human sweat and
availability of host plants. Another
possible reason is that members of this
family have been known to be strong
active fliers and this enables them to
search and locate food over a long
distance and large area (Lodh and
Agarwala, 2012). The low occurrence of
members of the Pieridae and Lycaenidae
may be attributed to the fact that they are
not easily attracted to traps. Their small
size and host specificity may also be
responsible for their low occurrence in the
grove (Perveen and Khan, 2014). The
members of these two families have been
known to have preference for sunny
weather but the amount of solar radiation
in the grove was greatly reduced by the
dense canopy formed by the riparian
bamboo vegetation (Nair et al. 2014).
The higher species richness and
abundance of the butterflies in March
compare to the other months may be
attributed to convergence at water source
and rate of capture. During the dry
periods, butterfly are known to aggregate
around water source for drink and
nourishment unlike the wet season when
water is available in all the microhabitats
in the grove (Nair et al., 2007; Nganso et
al., 2012; Kumar and Murugesan, 2014).
Butterflies are also known to avoid heated
environment, so they tend to move
towards cooler areas. Hence, the ease of
capture and the greater number of
individuals collected in that particular
month. Similar observations were
reported by Janzer and Schoener (1968)
and Vu and Vu (2011) in which greater
abundance and diversity of butterflies
were reported around riparian vegetation
in dry seasons than the wet season.
A Survey of Butterfly Fauna in the Sacred Grove of Umuaja
Forest................Ojianwuna & Amusan
164
Although, the occurrence of indicator
species such as; Melanitis leda, Melanitis
libya, Charaxes varanes, Eurema hecabe
and Mylothris chloris could be an
indication of threatened ecosystem but the
numbers recorded suggested that the
threat is apparent. These species have
been reported to only be comfortable in
close forest condition in low numbers
(Bossart et al., 2006; Boafo, 2010 and
Nganso et al., 2012) but the occurrence of
high numbers of individuals could be an
indication of habit fragmentation (Larsen
2005). However, findings in this study
revealed that only M. leda occurred with a
reasonable number of individuals (relative
abundance = 13.9) while the other
indicator species were recorded in very
low numbers (relative abundance = 2.8).
Conclusion
The preliminary assessment of the
butterfly fauna of the Umuaja grove has
contributed to the booming body of
knowledge that sacred groves are potential
biodiversity hotspots. The protected land
supports the resident populations of forest
indicator species which was an indication
of the stability of the ecological status of
the forest. However, the occurrence of
certain tolerant species suggested
potential sources of threat to the protected
area. Integrated approach to the
management of the sacred grove and the
resources there-in is strongly
recommended.
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Ethiopian Journal of Environmental Studies and Management Vol. 12 no.2 2019
... Thus, SFs had higher population densities of small mammals than the two non-sacred sites, demonstrating that they function as refuges to some small mammal species no longer found anywhere else. Similarly, in a survey of butterflies in the SFs of Umuaja forest, Southern Nigeria, a total of 72 individuals, representing 14 species in three families (Nymphalidae Pieridae and Lyacenidae) were recorded (Ojianwuna & Amusan, 2019). ...
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  • Feb 2023
Interest in citizen science, notably biodiversity mapping, has soared recently in Africa, owing to several converging factors. First, is the growing recognition that biodiversity is threatened, and second, there is a need for collective effort among the public to improve the state of biodiversity, driven by human activities. Amongst the important biodiversity components is Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths) which underpin crucial roles in the ecosystem. Although Lepidoptera has been a major field of study for the past decades, its ecology and distribution have only recently gained important attention among the public, particularly in West Africa. This paper reports on the number of butterflies and moths recorded for Nigeria on the LepiMap database. The database contains 1578 records from January 2010 up to August 2021, from 98 quarter-degree grid cells of the 1306 grid cells in Nigeria (7.5% of grid cells). There are 1219 recorded identified to species level (77%), with 359 awaiting identifications, mostly moths. The number of Lepidopterans recorded was 219 species belonging to 16 families. The most frequently recorded species were Catopsilia florella (28 grid cells, 64 records), Telchinia serena (27 grid cells, 61 records), and Danaus chrysippus alcippus (23 grid cells, 49 records). One of the most important successes of LepiMap during the last three years in Nigeria was the increase in the number of observers and coverage by 600%, which is crucial to gathering lepidopteran mapping data for conservation action. It is recommended that data collection be geared toward areas having no or low coverage, yet refreshing old records are also important for understanding changes in species composition across grid cells.
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Harnessing Traditional Knowledge and Modern Science for the Conservation of Plant Diversity in Nigeria
Presentation
Full-text available
  • Mar 2024
For centuries, indigenous communities across Nigeria have developed a deep understanding of their local ecosystems. These communities have developed sustainable lifestyles that harmoniously coexist with the environment. Drawing from their traditions, they have acquired a profound understanding of the different aspects of local ecosystems, weather patterns, and natural resource management. Traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) refers to a body of knowledge, practices, and ideas transmitted and (re)generated orally and non-verbally in diverse forms from generation to generation. This traditional wisdom serves as a valuable repository of knowledge that can inform and enhance contemporary scientific strategies in addressing challenges in plant conservation strategies. The blending of traditional knowledge with contemporary scientific approaches to plant conservation is therefore crucial and imperative for addressing, in a timely manner, solutions to climate change concerns in the local sphere. Where there are gaps in the scientific literature, local and traditional ecological knowledge (LTK) can be a critical source of basic environmental data and as such, an important component of scientific research, conservation, and resource management. In recent times, traditional knowledge has become a topic of considerable interest within the research and development environment. The potential contribution of traditional knowledge to conservation and management is increasingly recognized, and implementation mechanisms are underway in several countries. Because biodiversity and conservation assessment indices are debated and categorized primarily from western perspectives, the significance of threatened taxa has not been properly assessed in the cultural and ecological contexts of their use. Instead, conservable species tend to be identified by outsiders who are culturally and politically detached from the threatened environments. Bioprospecting and biopiracy have been identified as opportunistic trends in recent past leading the appropriation of traditional knowledge without acknowledgement and adequate compensation to the indigenous communities from whence vital facts on the potency of the biological resource. Bioprospecting if adequately implemented with consultation with indigenous peoples can be utilized as a key tool in ethnobiological conservation efforts by aiding local stakeholders in the creation of economic value for their traditional knowledge and environmental assets. To effectively harness the abundant plant biodiversity in Nigeria in a focused and purpose driven manner, the following conditions needs to be met, 1) a comprehensive checklists of plants with broad annotations of variables per plant, 2) a comprehensive flora showing most current updates on the IUCN Red list conservation status of all plants found in Nigeria, 3) detailed overview of the IUCN Red list of Threatened species (RLTS) of all plants found in Nigeria, current IUCN Red list of ecosystems (RLE) of all natural areas in Nigeria. Considering the arbitrary destruction of natural areas due to ignorance, religious bigotry, etc, the government should as a matter of urgency institute statutory laws protecting natural sites with the imposition of heavy penalty on violators. All protected areas with administrative oversight must engage individuals with vast competency on traditional knowledge, culture and customs of the area where the protected areas are domiciled. In this presentation, the status and potential role of traditional knowledge in conservation of plant diversity is reviewed with recommendations on the way forward.
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The butterfly (Insecta: Lepidoptera) diversity of four sacred groves of Goa, India
Article
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  • Oct 2015
The butterfly diversity of four sacred groves in Goa, viz., Nirankarachi Rai, Alvatinichi Rai, Mharinginichi Rai and Azobhachi Rai was selected for study purposes. A total of 33 species belonging to 31 genera were observed which accounts for about 13% of the species recorded from Goa. The Family Nymphalidae dominated with a high number of species with maximum diversity in Mharinginichi Rai. It is concluded that further studies on groves from different habitats will significantly increase this number.
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Rapid assessment of diversity and conservation of butterflies in Rowa Wildlife Sanctuary: An Indo-Burmese hotspot - Tripura, NE India
Article
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  • Dec 2015
The Rapid Biodiversity Assessment (RBA) method was used in Rowa Wildlife Sanctuary (WLS) in Tripura, northeast India to prioritize areas for conservation in remote and threatened habitats. Butterflies were used as indicator taxa to estimate species richness and diversity in three habitat types of the sanctuary: regenerated secondary forest, a botanical garden and bamboo bush. Fifty-three species from 36 genera and 5 families were recorded. The Jacknife 1 estimator provided the most accurate estimate of expected butterfly species richness, which statistically supports the reliability of the RBA. Eight of the recorded species are protected under the Indian Wildlife Protection Act, Red Data Book of Indian butterflies, IUCN Red List and CITES. Occurrence of potentially threatened and endangered species and new records of eight species to Tripura state, during a three-day study, highlights the conservation importance of Rowa WLS (0.85 sq. km) as well as the efficiency of the RBA for conservation biodiversity.
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Diversity of butterflies in four different forest types in Mount Slamet, Central Java, Indonesia
Article
Full-text available
  • Oct 2015
Widhiono I. 2015. Diversity of butterflies in four different forest types in Mount Slamet, Central Java, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 16: 196-204. The study was carried out in four different habitat types (secondary forest, plantation forest, agroforest, and tourist area) on the southern slope of Mount Slamet, Baturaden Forest, Central Java, Indonesia from July 2009 to August 2010. A total of 99 species belonging to eight families showed a dominance of Nymphalidae (30 species) followed by Pieridae (17 species), Lycaenidae (15 species), Papilionidae (13 species), Satyridae (11 species), Danaidae (6 species), Amathusidae (4 species), and Riodinidae (3 species). From the 99 butterflies species found on the southern slope of Mount Slamet, 32 species (30%) were specific to the forest, whereas 63 species (60.6%) were common to all habitats sampled, and the last 10 species (9.4%) were endemics species with one protected species (Troides helena). The present results was showed that butterflies diversity, abundance, and endemism is still relatively high, representing 18% of all butterfly species found in Java and supporting 71.4% endemic species found in Central Java. The plantation forest were contributed the highest diversity and abundance of butterfly species, whereas the agroforest showed the lowest diversity, abundance, and endemism. Among all habitats surveyed, the secondary forest represented the most suitable habitat for biodiversity conservation and maintenance of rare and endemic species.
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A Rapid Survey of Butterflies in the Atewa Range Forest Reserve, Ghana
Chapter
Full-text available
  • Dec 2007
Butterflies were used as one of the target species in a Rapid Assessment Program (RAP) survey to obtain quick, reliable and cost-effective biodiversity data from Atewa Range Forest Reserve. Overall, 143 species belonging to 55 genera in five families were recorded during the entire RAP expedition. The composition of butterfly species is plainly indicative of a good forest. The presence of Tetrarhanis baralingam, Neaveia lamborni and Bicyclus auricruda in Atewa were confirmed during our survey. N. lamborni and B. auricruda, prior to this survey, had not been seen in any protected area in Ghana. Almost half of the 17 rare species recorded are known either exclusively from Atewa or from just one other protected area in Ghana. The conservation of and further studies on these species is of ultimate importance in the quest to use butterflies as biological indicators. More than 700 different species of butterfly are now expected to occur on the Atewa Range. This is more than in any other single locality in Ghana, and for that matter anywhere in Africa west of the Dahomey Gap (and more than twice as many butterflies as in the whole of Europe!). As many as 50 rare species in Atewa may be recorded nowhere else in Ghana. The RAP expedition recorded 16 endemic species of which two (Euphaedra mariaechristinae and Ceratrichia maesseni) are endemic to the Ghana sub-region of West Africa. The remaining are endemic to the entire West Africa sub-region. The Atewa Range Forest Reserve provides a haven for many West African endemics. Ten of such endemic species are so far known only from the Range and might well in Ghana be limited to this reserve. Conservationists' understanding of the Afrotropical biological diversity has significant gaps and this hampers efforts to formulate sound biodiversity conservation measures. A few biologically rich, surviving forests like the Atewa forest remain the only hope for understanding some of the complexities and the functioning of ecosystem processes. The very high index of biodiversity, the presence of many endemic species, and several other species known from nowhere else in Ghana, and the pan-African rarity status of many of the species present in the Atewa Range Forest Reserve combine to indicate that its conservation importance is of the highest priority that the area should not be subject to development of any kind. INTRODUCTION Butterflies (Lepidoptera, Rhopalocera (Papilionoidea and Hesperioidea)) are a useful insect group in environmental monitoring and evaluation studies and have been used in several biodiversity monitoring programs around the globe with considerable success (Kremen 1992, 1994; Brown 1997; New 1997; Kerr et al. 2000; Larsen 2005a). They are by far the best known and most studied larger group of organisms apart from plants and vertebrates (Larsen 2006). Information such as habitat preference, habits, host plants, geographical distribution, endemism and/or rarity of most species is readily available for use in biodiversity data synthesis and interpretation. They can arguably be used as flagship taxa for terrestrial invertebrate biodiversity conservation. The aesthetic beauty and charismatic nature of many butterflies have the ability to invoke people's passion and interest, both of which are useful in butterfly conservation. Public interest in butterflies has grown enormously and has even become a political force in some countries. Major building developments have been rejected and proposed motorways have been relocated simply to protect scarce butterfly populations (New et al. 1995). By using butterflies as targets in biodiversity conservation, many coexisting and codependent organisms, like their food plants and natural enemies, may also be conserved. Butterflies, by virtue of their high sensitivity, respond strongly to habitat disturbance (Brown, 1997) and most have special geographical distributions (Larsen 1994, 2006), reflecting past conditions, making them potentially useful biological indicator species. The use of butterflies as tools in rapid biodiversity assessment missions presents other advantages as well, such as their relatively stable and well known taxonomy, high sensitivity to changes in their habitats and microclimate heterogeneity and a high correlation with spatial, structural, and taxonomic diversity of vascular plants (Panzer and Schwartz 1998). Their high species richness (∼20,000 in the world; ∼4,000 in Afrotropics and ∼925 species in Ghana), relative ease of capture, ubiquitous nature and explicit ecological preference, more or less, make them a useful taxon for use in a rapid biodiversity assessment. Butterflies were therefore used as one of the target species in a RAP mission to obtain quick, reliable and cost-effective biodiversity data in the Atewa Range Forest Reserve (Atewa). The data resulting from this expedition are intended to inform conservationists and/or policy makers in formulating sound science-based conservation measures needed to conserve these charismatic species and the millions other species that coexist with them or even depend on them. STUDY SITES AND METHODS Atewa covers a total landmass of 232 km². It is located within moist evergreen and semideciduous forest at lower levels and upland evergreen forest at higher levels (above 700 m). It is one of just two major areas of upland evergreen forest in Ghana, the other being at Tano Ofin. The RAP mission concentrated on three plateaux within the reserve that had been designated for bauxite exploration (and potential extraction) by ALCOA. The three plateaux were named Atiwiredu, Asiakwa South and Asiakwa North by the RAP team for consistency. Atiwiredu was the first survey site for the research team. It is located at 06°12′22.7′N and 00°34′39.2′W with an altitude of 817 m a.s.l. There was evidence of very recent human disturbance of the vegetation. The plateau had numerous fresh (bauxite) exploratory transects constructed mainly with cutlasses and chainsaws. Investigation here was conducted over five field days from 7–11 June 2006. Asiakwa South (06°15′44.3′N; 00°33′18.8′W; altitude 783 m a.s.l) was the second RAP camp. Again, the team stayed here for five field days (12–16 June 2006). The site generally had lots of old exploratory transects, indicating that mineral exploration had been carried out here not more than two years ago. Asiakwa North (06°16′16.1′N; 00°33′52.7′W; altitude 814 m a.s.l) was the least disturbed habitat with most of its vegetation still intact. The team spent six field days, from 17–22 June 2006, sampling this plateau. On the last sampling day (22 June), the butterfly team collected specimens along the main access road passing through the reserve. Portions of the road sampled were at least 10 km from the nearest plateau or camp site. This was done to build up the species checklist for the expedition. As a result, only species that had not been recorded earlier in the three study plateaux were noted. Typical fruit-baited traps (see DeVries 1987 for details) and standard butterfly nets were used for specimen collection. Traps were baited mainly with rotten banana fruits, though pineapple fruits were used occasionally. Traps were set in suitable butterfly habitats along main roads used by vehicles within the reserve, exploratory transects, hunter trails and in the forest interior. A few traps were also set in the tree canopy. The trapping protocol was intended to yield most of the species in the Nymphalidae family (Satyrinae, Charaxinae, Nymphalidae) that are difficult to catch with butterfly nets. In all, 20 fruit-baited traps per site were used for the study, except for Atiwiredu where 14 traps were set. Traps were rebaited every 24 hours during the sampling periods. This protocol was repeated for each study/camp site. Using mainly preexisting hunting trails passing through suitable butterfly habitats, a standard butterfly net was also used to collect specimens. Species seen (and easy to identify in flight) during transect/trail walks were also recorded. Available taxonomy treatises (e.g. Larsen 2005) were used for properly identifying confusing/difficult specimens. The distance walked at each site depended very much on the prevailing weather conditions. Longer distances were walked at sites with more favorable butterfly weather conditions (i.e. reasonable amount of sunshine) and vice versa. To allow for effective comparison of butterfly composition between sites, the time spent during trail walk survey was standardized into “effective sampling hours”. For this RAP survey, one effective sampling hour denotes one hour of good butterfly weather. This may not necessarily be one uninterrupted hour of good butterfly weather. High quality specimens were kept in glassine envelopes and taken to a laboratory in Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi for further processing. Specimens that were confusing or difficult to identify were sent to Dr. Torben B. Larsen for clarification. KNUST has recently built a museum and a space for a butterfly specimens collection has been applied for. The specimens together with others collected by the lead author (Kwaku Aduse-Poku) from other localities will form the first batch of butterfly voucher specimens for the university museum. Species rarity and endemism status were adopted from Larsen (2006). RESULTS Overall, 143 species belonging to 55 genera in five families were recorded during the RAP expedition (Appendix 4). This number represents about one-fourth of the species positively recorded from and accepted for the entire reserve. It is probable that more favorable butterfly weather (lots of sunshine) would have yielded many more species. It was raining on average almost every three out of four (75%) days throughout the expedition period. Overwhelmingly, two-thirds of the specimens collected belonged to the Nymphalidae family. This family contains species that are mostly fruit feeders and will normally come to fruit-baited traps. This indicates that the trapping protocol was a useful component of the RAP survey. The unfavorable weather (characterized by heavy mist and frequent rain showers) probably accounted for the conspicuous absence of Lycaenidae and Hesperiidae (skippers) from the list. As a comparison of the butterfly biodiversity between sites, at Asiakwa South we recorded the highest number of species (89) and at Asiakwa North we recorded the lowest number of species (57) (Table 5.1). Thirteen additional species were recorded along the main road (about 20 km from the study site) after 2.5 ‘effective sampling hours'. It is worth mentioning that many species were seen along the main road but only those not recorded in the three RAP survey sites were noted. Over 90 percent of the species collected during the expedition were typical forest species (Appendix 4). Considering the species composition at the various sites, our results indicate that Asiakwa South was the most disturbed. Here, we recorded a high incidence of ‘sunloving' species like Bicyclus sandace and B. vulgaris. There were also many activities and individuals of Junonia terea terea and Precis pelarga on this plateau. These species prefer (patchily) disturbed habitats within forest zones and are often justifiably used as indicator species for anthropogenic disturbance within forest zones. The Asiakwa South site is believed to have been explored last year for bauxite deposits. The exploration has created significant openings in the vegetation, much more than in the two other study sites, hence giving way for many species not strictly limited to forest. It was not surprising, therefore, that this area recorded the highest number of species since butterflies, like most insect groups conform well to the mild (intermediate) disturbance principle (Fermon et al. 2000, DeVries and Walla 2001). It must also be mentioned that the area still has a reasonable amount of good forest patches that are able to support viable population of forest butterfly species. In contrast, Asiakwa North held the lowest species richness, though this site was the best in terms of vegetation or habitat health conditions. There were generally low relative numbers of species collected on this plateau. Atiwiredu was intermediate to the two plateaux in terms of both species richness and habitat health. Table 5.1. Details of actual fields days and effective sampling hours spent per site during a RAP survey in the Atewa Range Forest Reserve in Ghana. The number of species observed per camp site is also presented. DISCUSSION Overall Biodiversity More than 700 different species of butterfly are now estimated to occur on the Atewa Range, of which almost 600 are positively recorded. This is more than in any other single locality in Ghana, and for that matter anywhere in Africa west of the Dahomey Gap. The presence of Tetrarhanis baralingam, Neaveia lamborni and Bicyclus auricruda in Atewa was confirmed during the mission. N. lamborni and B. auricruda have so far not been recorded from any of the protected areas in Ghana. T. baralingam however has been recorded in three of the National Parks in Ghana; namely Kakum, Ankasa and Bia. Interestingly, each site recorded one of these confirmed species. T. baralingam was seen on the Atiwiredu plateau. N. lamborni and B. auricruda were collected on the north and south plateaux of Asiakwa respectively. The three confirmed species were among those suspected as possibly occurring on the Atewa Range (Larsen 2006). This will now raise the number of species that have been positively recorded and accepted in Atewa Forest Reserve to 575. This is nearly twice as many butterflies as in the whole of Europe. Endemicity The RAP expedition recorded 16 endemic species of which two are endemic to the Ghana sub-region (Euphaedra mariaechristinae and Ceratrichia maesseni). The remaining 14 species are endemic to the West Africa sub-region as a whole. Atewa provides a haven for at least 66 of the known 100 West African endemics. Ten of such endemic species are so far known in Ghana only from Atewa and might well be limited to this area. Some of these species are suspected to reside also in Tano Ofin, which is similar to Atewa in terms of both vegetation and topography. Unfortunately this reserve is highly degraded and earmarked for bauxite mining. Astictopterus anomoeus, recorded at Atiwiredu and Asiakwa South during the RAP survey, is one such species, recently known from nowhere else in Ghana but Atewa and just in Volta. Among other West African endemics (not seen during the RAP expedition but) known only from Atewa in Ghana are: Mylothris atewa. Described from Atewa and almost certainly a narrow endemic to the Atewa Range, this species is found only above the 600 m contour. This distinctive species may be common, and is unlikely to have been overlooked elsewhere in West Africa. Larsen (2005b) comments that it has no obvious affinities to other members of the genus. Anthene helpsi. Described from Atewa following its capture by Major T. Helps, this is the only white Anthene among almost a hundred others in Africa. Though a questionable record from near Abidjan in Côte d'Ivoire exists, Larsen (2005b) now discounts this record and considers the species to be an amazing Atewa endemic. What is fascinating is, at the very same spot where two individuals of this species were collected in 1993, two other species of conservation interest (Mylothris atewa and Papilio antimachus) were also seen. Unfortunately, bauxite exploratory transects have already been cut into this area. Acraea kibi. Described from Atewa as a distinct species, Larsen (2005b) considers this to be a distinctive and valid subspecies of A. kraka which is otherwise known only from the mountains of the Nigeria/Cameroon border. The species is obviously a resident of the upland forest habitat and has also once been found in numbers at Tano Ofin. The Atewa Range also supports most of the butterflies that are endemic to Africa west of the Dahomey Gap (for details see Larsen 2006). Biogeography Some species found at Atewa have biogeographical affinities with the fauna of eastern Nigeria and Cameroon. Two examples are: Bicyclus sylvicolus. Widely distributed in the equatorial rainforest of central Africa and occurring in eastern Nigeria, it also occurs in the forests of the Ghana/Togo Mountains, widely separated from the main population. The species is found also on Atewa, but nowhere else in Ghana. Although there are old records of this species from Father Masseni Atewa collection in Allyn Museum, USA, Larsen (2005b) suspected possible mislabeling and needed this claim sub-stantiated. Not long after the RAP survey in August 2006, the lead author (Aduse-Poku) caught both female and male of this species in baited traps. On Atewa it co-habits with Bicyclus abnormis which is an endemic of Africa west of the Dahomey Gap that is widely distributed from Ghana to Sierra Leone. ONLY on the Atewa Range do these two species occur in the same locality. It is very rare to find such two geographical vicariants inhabiting the same locality. Acraea translucida is similar in its range, being found only in western Cameroun, Nigeria, the Volta Region Mountains and on Atewa. However, this species has no proper West African vicariant; so that Atewa is the western-most point of its range. Rare Species The importance of Atewa is also underlined by the presence of a large numbers of very rare butterflies — species that are rare not just in Ghana but in Africa as a whole. Almost half (48%) of the 17 rare species recorded during the expedition (see Table 5.2) are positively recorded either exclusively from Atewa or from just one other protected area in Ghana. Some of the rare species recorded either are positively limited to the Atewa Range Forest Reserve or occur in just one of the protected areas in Ghana. Vanessula milca is one of the Atewa exclusives. Bicyclus trilophus, Aslauga lamborni and Bebearia arcadius occur in Atewa and just one of the protected areas in Ghana. The conservation and further studies on these species is of importance in the quest to use butterflies as biological indicators in overall biodiversity assessment. The host plant of Vanessula milca for instance, to date, remains unknown and finding it will provide an understanding of its irregular distribution in West Africa: though usually common on Atewa, it has not recently been found elsewhere in Ghana and its distribution in the rest of Africa is very patchy. Review of existing butterfly literature of the forest reserve shows that about as many as 50 rare species in Atewa are recorded nowhere else in Ghana (Larsen 2006). One good example of such species is the recently discovered Charaxes fournierae jolybouyeri, Vingerhoedt, 1998. This species is most unusual and some authors (Joly 2003) consider the presence of this species sufficient to justify conservation measures for Atewa. C. fournierae jolybouyeri is the western subspecies of an extremely rare butterfly from equatorial Africa; it was found on the Atewa Range and then — amazingly — also in the Guinea Mountains near Nzérékoré. The extremely rich butterfly fauna of Atewa contains a number of rare species worthy of special mention, though they were not recorded during the RAP survey. First among these is the magnificent Papilio antimachus Drury, 1782 whose wingspan can be up to 25 cm, the widest of any butterfly in the world. The wings are very narrow and other butterflies surpass it in wing surface. The only other Ghana records traced are from Amedzofe in the Volta Region and most recently (2005) from Bobiri. The population in Volta now appears to be extinct and the rather extensive forests below Amedzofe have largely been destroyed. The species is, however, still present on Atewa and has been found on at least five occasions during the past five years - but it is rarely seen except when coming down to drink from the edge of streams since it stays in the canopy. Other interesting and significant species include: Graphium rileyi — a large species that is endemic to West Africa and in Ghana known only from Atewa; there are long series from Atewa in collections but no recent records from Ghana or Côte d'Ivoire. Pentila petreoides — a very rare West African endemic species; the only Ghana records are from Atewa. Ornipholidotos issia — is a West African endemic; its only known Ghana population is on the Atewa Range. Table 5.2. Rare butterfly species recorded at each study/camp site during a RAP survey in the Atewa Range Forest Reserve, a forest fragment in Ghana. Rare species as adopted from Larsen (2006) are species usually found on less than 10–20% of visits to most suitable localities. Mimeresia moyambina — a very rare West African endemic, originally described from Sierra Leone, where it has not since been refound; a few were found in Côte d'Ivoire during the 1960s and a small series caught on Atewa a few years ago. Liptena griveaudi — an almost unknown species described from Côte d'Ivoire; the only Ghana records are from Atewa. The status of Sierra Leone material is uncertain. Stempfferia staudingeri — a rare butterfly found from Sierra Leone to western Nigeria, in Ghana only known from Atewa. Iolaus mane — this species was recently described from the Fouta Djalon in Guinea; a specimen from Atewa was unexpectedly located in the Allyn Museum of Entomology in Florida and no other Ghana specimens are known Anthene atewa — a recently described butterfly named after the Atewa Range that has been found also in other Ghana forests of good quality and rarely in Côte d'Ivoire; it seems a very scarce West African endemic. Bicyclus dekeyseri — a rare endemic of the wettest forest in West Africa; very few are known from Ghana, mostly from Atewa. Euphaedra ignota — a distinctive Ghana endemic that was described from Atewa but has been recorded also from Kakum and forests near Atewa. Euphaedra eusemoides — a most distinctive and very rare butterfly, endemic to Africa west of the Dahomey Gap, only known from the Atewa Range in Ghana; none has been found in Ghana since the 1960s. Celaenorrhinus sagamase — a very rare butterfly recently described from Atewa (named after the Sagyemase track to Atiwiredu), but one has also been found in Kakum; a spectacular West African endemic. Celaenorrhinus ankasa — a rare West African endemic; one of the types was from Atewa; it has since been found also in Sierra Leone. Many other species that are rare on a pan-African basis are found in the Atewa forests. Dr. T.B. Larsen (pers. comm.) was consulted on this section and commented that the list of rare species could be continued for more pages than this report can contain. CONSERVATION RECOMMENDATIONS The very high index of biodiversity, the presence of many endemic species and several other butterfly species known from nowhere else in Ghana, and the pan-African rarity status of many of those species present in Atewa combine to indicate that its conservation is of the highest priority - possibly the most important site in the country apart from the national parks (Ankasa, Bia, Kakum). It is therefore not surprising that the conservation status of this reserve has increased and elevated over the years from a Special Biological Protection Area (SBPA), to a Hill Sanctuary, and most recently a Globally Significant Biological Area (GSBA). Conservationists' understanding of Afrotropical biological diversity has significant gaps and this paucity of information hampers their ability and efforts to formulate sound biodiversity conservation measures. The few biologically rich, surviving forests like the Atewa forest remain the only hopes for understanding some of these complexities and functioning in ecosystem processes. Forests in Ghana are fast disappearing and even considered one of the most imperiled ecosystems in the world (FAO 2006). Unfortunately what is unknown in this vulnerable ecosystem eclipses what is known, making it one of the least studied and ecologically understood forest zones in the world (Laurance 1997). We strongly recommend, based on the results of this survey and prior work in the Atewa area, that the Atewa Range Forest Reserve should be fully protected and not opened up for development activities that could harm this site of global conservation priority. REFERENCES 1 BakarrM. B.Bailey D.Byler R.Ham S.Olivieri M.Omland 2001From the Forest to the Sea: Biodi-versity Connections from Guinea to Togo.Conservation InternationalWashington, DC78Google Scholar 2 3 DeVriesP.J. 1987The Butterflies of Costa Rica and their Natural History.Princeton University Press327Google Scholar 4 5 Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).2006Global Forest Resources Assessment 2005. Progress towards sustainable forest management.FAO Forestry paper 147Rome322Google Scholar 6 7 8 9 10 11 LarsenT.B. 1994The Butterflies of Ghana and their Implications for Conservation and Sustainable Use.Compiled for Ghana Wildlife Department and IUCN54Google Scholar 12 LarsenT.B. 2005aRapid Assessement of Butterflies of Draw River, Boi-Tano and Krokosua Hills.3339 In McCulloughJ. J.Decher D.Guba Kpelle A biological assessment of the terrestrial ecosystems of the Draw River, Bio-Tano, Tano Nimiri and Krokosua Hills forest reserves, Southwestern Ghana.RAP Bulletin of Biological Assessment 36. Conservation InternationalWashington, DCGoogle Scholar 13 LarsenT.B. 2005bThe Butterflies of West Africa.Apollo booksStenstrup DenmarkGoogle Scholar 14 LarsenT.B. 2006The Ghana Butterfly Fauna and its contribution to the objectives of the protected Areas System.A report submitted to Ghana Wildlife Division. WDSP Report No. 63200Google Scholar 15 LauranceW.F. 1997Introduction.12 In LauranceW.F. Bierregaard Tropical Forest Remnants Ecology. Management and Conservation of Fragmented Communities.Univ. of Chicago PressILGoogle Scholar 16 17 18 Ntiamoa-BaiduY. E.H.Owusu D.T.Daramani A.A.Nuoh 2001Important Bird Areas in Ghana.367389 In FishpoolL.D.C. M.I.Evans Important Bird Areas in Africa and Associated Islands: Priority sites for conservation.BirdLife InternationalCambridgeGoogle Scholar 19
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Biology and distribution of butterfly fauna of Hazara University, Garden Campus, Mansehra, Pakistan
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Full-text available
  • Jan 2013
The butterflies are beautiful creature of nature with great economic importance as pollinator as well as bio-indicator of environments. The present survey was conducted to determine the biology and distribution of butterfly fauna of Hazara University, Garden Campus, Mansehra, Pakistan during March-June 2012. The study area was divided into 3 quadrates, i.e., residential area, administration area and main campus. A total of 170 specimens were collected, 10 species were identified belonging to 3 different families and falling in 8 genera. The species were identified. The painted lady, Cynthia cardui (Linnaeus); blue pansy, Junonia orithya Linnaeus; and plain tiger, Danaus chrysippus (Linnaeus) were belonging to family Nymphalidae. The lime butterfly, Papilio demoleus Linnaeus and com-mon mormon, P. polytes Linnaeus were belonging to family Papilionidae. The dark clouded yellow, Colias croceus (Geoffroy); common grass yellow, Eumera hecab (Linnaeus); Murree green-veined white, Pieris ajaka Moore; green-veined white, P. napi (Linnaeus) and Bath white, Pontia daplidice (Linnaeus) were belonging to family Pieridae. The body sizes of E. hecabe and J. orithya were minimum, i.e., 1.4 cm (n = 4 - 13), however, D. chrysippus was maximum, i.e., 2.5 cm (n = 1). The wingspan of E. hecabe was minimum, i.e., 3.7 cm (n = 4), however, P. polytes was maximum, i.e., 7.5 cm (n = 1). Proper preventive measures should be taken into consideration in order to minimize the natural habitat loss, as butterfly fauna is dependent upon proper environmental conditions.
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Role of sacred grove in in-situ biodiversity conservation in rainforest zone of south-western Nigeria
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Full-text available
  • Jan 2014
  • J TROP FOR SCI
Though sacred groves were established for spiritual purposes, they are contributing to in-situ biodiversity conservation. The role of groves in biodiversity conservation in south-western Nigeria was investigated in Osun-Osogbo and Igbo-Olodumare sacred groves and compared with degraded and primary forests. All trees (diameter at breast height (dbh) ≥ 10 cm) were identified and their dbh values measured in each of the 48 temporary sample plots of 20 m × 40 m. Tree seedlings were assessed within 5 m × 10 m quadrat. Osun-Osogbo grove had the highest species abundance (61), diversity index (3.54), number of seedlings (66 species), species evenness (0.66) and percentage of endangered tree species (32.6%) which indicated its importance in in-situ biodiversity conservation. The lower diversity indices of Igbo-Olodumare grove is attributed to its rockiness and low-sacredness, which has led to encroachment. Sacred groves were preserved by fear of deity, cultural importance and place of worship. Benefits derived from groves by the community included healing, protection, tourism and employment. Tree felling within groves was regarded as abomination and sacrifices must be offered before any tree was felled. The rules and taboos used to preserve/protect the groves are crumbling, which must be addressed if they are to continue playing important role in in-situ biodiversity conservation.
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Variation in butterfly diversity and unique species richness along different habitats in Trishna Wildlife Sanctuary, Tripura, northeast India
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Full-text available
  • Jun 2012
Quantification of butterfly diversity and species richness is of prime importance for evaluating the status of protected areas. Permanent line transect counts were used to record species richness and abundance of butterfly communities of different habitat types in Trishna wildlife sanctuary. A total of 1005 individuals representing 59 species in 48 genera belonging to five families were recorded in the present study. Of these, 23 species belonged to the family Nymphalidae and accounted for 38.98% of the total species and 45.20% of the total number of individuals. Mature secondary mixed moist deciduous forest showed the maximum diversity and species richness, while exotic grassland showed minimum diversity and species richness. Out of 59 species, 31 are new records for Tripura state, while 21 are unique species and nine are listed in the threatened category. This study revealed that mature secondary forests are more important for butterfly communities, while exotic grasslands have a negative impact on species composition.
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The effects of forest destruction on the abundance, species richness and diversity of butterflies in the Bosomkese Forest Reserve, Brong Ahafo Region, Ghana
Article
  • May 2013
Objectives: Despite the substantial loss of natural forest in the Bosomkese Forest Reserve, little is known on the effects of the massive habitat loss and degradation on forest biota. The study therefore assessed the effects of anthropogenic activities on butterfly species composition and abundance in the Bosomkese Forest reserve in the Brong Ahafo region of Ghana. Methodology and Results: The effects of anthropogenic activities on butterflies were studied in three forest types identified in the forest reserve namely, disturbed canopy (DC) slightly disturbed canopy (SDC) and undisturbed canopy (UC), which was the control. The data on the butterflies were collected using fruit – baiting traps on a 1 kilometer line transect selected in each of the study areas. Species richness and diversity were analyzed using Simpson’s Diversity Index. Five butterfly families were identified during the study. These were: Numphalidae, Hesperiidae, Pieridae, Lycaenidae and Papilionidae. Nymphalidae recorded the largest number of species whilst Papilionidae was the least abundant. The undisturbed canopy recorded the largest number of butterflies whilst the disturbed canopy recorded the least number of butterflies. In terms of diversity, the undisturbed canopy showed the greatest diversity whilst the disturbed canopy showed the least diversity. Conclusion and application of findings: Strict enforcement of forest laws by the law enforcement agencies and creating alternative source of livelihood for the people living in and around the forest reserve will help reduce the dependence on the forest as a source of livelihood.
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