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Species images and videos
Tourists and visitors that undertake activities at Semuliki are encouraged to take videos or images of butterflies that they come across which all helps to contribute to the knowledge of the butterfly fauna of the park. Any images or videos used within the website will be acknowledged as will any new or important information that contributes further to the butterfly diversity of the park.

Species record additions

A provisional total of 448 butterfly species were documented and recorded at Semuliki National Park (Forbes, 2018). The park has by far the greatest butterfly diversity of any park or reserve in Uganda. There have been further additional species identified since the 2018 publication. This has been through the further analysis of the thousands of images collected from the PhD research; analysing the excellent individual genus publications of Mark Williams together with collating prior records sampled and collected by Justice Oribokihiro in the field. The following additional records have therefore been collected which are either new (not been documented in Forbes, 2018) or verify the records collected by Davenport in the biodiversity report of Davenport and Howard, (1996) where an initial 309 species were recorded. The current confirmed recorded total now comes to 546 species.

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Subspecies amendments and additions to Forbes (2018).

Family Nymphalidae

Subfamily Charaxinae Doherty, 1886

Tribe Charaxini Guenée, 1865

Genus Charaxes Ochsenheimer, 1816

Charaxes smaragdalis caerulea changed to Charaxes smaragdalis leopoldi Ghesquière, 1933

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Subfamily Limenitidinae Behr, 1864

Genus Bebearia Hemming, 1960

Bebearia cocalia ssp. katera van Someren, 1939

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The following newly recorded species below are referenced within the website and included in the updated species total:

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Family Nymphalidae

Subfamily Satyrinae Boisduval, 1833

Tribe Satyrini Boisduval, 1833

Genus Bicyclus Kirby, 1871

Bicyclus mesogenina Grünberg, 1911 (Aduse-Poku et al., 2016)

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Subfamily Limenitidinae Behr, 1864

Tribe Adoliadini Doubleday, 1845
Genus Euphaedra Hübner, 1819

Euphaedra intermedia Rebel, 1914 (Forbes capture) 
Euphaedra ueleana Hecq, 1982 (Forbes capture) 
Euphaedra ansorgei Hecq, 1974 (Forbes capture) 
Euphaedra simplex Hecq, 1978 (Forbes capture)
Euphaedra sinuosa sinuosa Hecq, 1974 (Forbes capture)

Euphaedra procera/subprocera Hecq, 1984 (Forbes capture)

Genus Bebearia Hemming, 1960

Bebearia chloeropsis Bethune-Baker, 1908 (Afrotropical Butterflies, Williams 2022) - included in updated species total

Genus Euriphene Boisduval, 1847

Euriphene doriclea Capronnier, 1889 (Afrotropical Butterflies, Williams 2022) - included in updated species total

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Tribe Cymothoini Dhungel & Wahlberg, 2018

Genus Cymothoe Hübner, 1819

Cymothoe distincta Overlaet, 1952 (Afrotropical Butterflies, Williams 2022) - included in updated species total

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Tribe Neptini Newman, 1870
Genus
Neptis Fabricius, 1807

Neptis agouale parallela Collins & Larsen, 1996 is replaced by Neptis melicerta parallela (Collins & Larsen, 1996 comb. nov.)

 

Subfamily Heliconiinae Swainson, 1822
Tribe Acraeini Boisduval, 1833
Subtribe Acraeina Boisduval, 1833

Genus Acraea Fabricius, 1807

Acraea endoscota Le Doux, 1928 (ref: Acraeinae of Uganda (Bernaud et al., 2018))

Acraea ventura Hewitson, 1877 (ref: Aurivillius, 1925 - Acraeinae of Uganda (Bernaud et al., 2018))

Acraea paragea Grose-Smith, 1900 (ref: Acraeinae of Uganda (Bernaud et al., 2018))

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Subfamily Biblydinae

Tribe Epicaliini Guenée, 1865

Genus Sevenia Koçak, 1996
Sevenia umbrina Karsch, 1892 (Forbes capture)

 

Family Hesperiidae

Subfamily Tagiadinae Mabille, 1878

Genus Eagris Guenée, 1862

Eagris tetrastigma Mabille, 1891 (Forbes capture)

Genus Sarangesa Moore, 1881

Sarangesa tertullianus Fabricius, 1793

Genus Scopulifera Libert, 2014

Scopulifera nigropuncta Bethune-Baker, 1908

Genus Apallaga Strand, 1911

Apallaga fulgens Mabille, 1877

Apallaga homeyeri Plötz, 1880

Apallaga inexpectata  Libert, 2014

Apallaga darlustris Libert, 2014

Apallaga alluaudi Mabille & Boullet, 1916

Genus Celaenorrhinus Hübner, 1819

Celaenorrhinus proxima proxima Mabille, 1877 (Forbes capture)

Celaenorrhinus perimitans Libert, 2014

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Subfamily Hesperiinae Latreille, 1809

Genus Gorgyra Holland, 1896

Gorgyra diversata Evans, 1937

Genus Andronymus Holland, 1896

Andronymus gander Evans, 1947

Genus Gretna Evans, 1937

Gretna zaremba Plötz, 1884

Genus Hypoleucis Mabille 1891

Hypoleucis dacena Hewitson, 1876

Genus Caenides Holland, 1896

Caenides kangvensis Holland, 1896

Genus Monza Evans, 1937

Monza cretacea Snellen, 1872

Genus Borbo Evans, 1949

Borbo chagwa Evans, 1937

Genus Pteroteinon Watson, 1893

Pteroteinon caenira Hewitson, 1867

Pteroteinon capronnieri  Plötz, 1879

Genus Teniorhinus Holland, 1892

Teniorhinus watsoni Holland, 1892 (recorded in error)

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Family Lycaenidae

Species record additions for the Family Lycaenidae have been referenced from the publications of individual genera  for Afrotropical Butterflies (Williams, 2022). Species author reference refers to any subspecies recorded at Semuliki.

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Subfamily Poritiinae Doherty, 1886

Tribe Pentilini Aurivillius, 1914

Genus Telipna Aurivillius, 1895

Telipna acraea Jackson, 1969

Telipna citrimaculata Bethune-Baker, 1926

Telipna erica Suffert, 1904

Genus Pentila Westwood, 1851

Pentila hiendlmayri Dewitz, 1887

Pentila hybrida Libert and Collins, 2019

Genus Ornipholidotos Bethune-Baker, 1914

Ornipholidotos ugandae Stempffer, 1947

Ornipholidotos ntebi Bethune-Baker, 1906

Ornipholidotos paradoxa Libert, 2005

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Tribe Liptenini Röber, 1892

Genus Liptena Westwood, 1851

Liptena flavicans Stempffer, 1956

Liptena batesana Bethune-Baker, 1926

Liptena decipiens Kirby, 1890

Genus Falcuna Stempffer & Bennett, 1963

Falcuna iturina Stempffer and Bennett, 1963

Genus Citrinophila Kirby, 1887

Citrinophila tenerea Kirby, 1887

Genus Mimacraea Butler, 1872

Mimacraea fulvaria Aurivillius, 1895

Mimacraea telloides Schultze, 1923

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Tribe Epitolini Jackson, 1962

Genus Iridana Aurivillius, 1920

Iridana bwamba Stempffer, 1964

Iridana obscura Stempffer, 1964

Genus Geritola Libert, 1999

Geritola liana Roche, 1954

Geritola dubia Jackson, 1964

Geritola subargentea Jackson, 1964

Genus Stempfferia Jackson, 1962

Stempfferia badura Libert, 1999

Stempfferia cercene Hewitson, 1873

Stempfferia ciconia Jackson, 1968

Stempfferia congoana Aurivillius, 1923

Stempfferia insulana Aurivillius, 1923

Stempfferia sylviae Libert, 1999

Genus Cephetola Libert, 1999

Cephetola entebbeana Bethune-Baker, 1926

Cephetola cephenoides Libert, 2020

Cephetola maculata Hawker-Smith, 1926

Cephetola viridana Joicey and Talbot, 1921

Cephetola orientalis Roche, 1954

Cephetola kamengensis Jackson, 1964

Cephetola mpangensis Jackson, 1962

Cephetola dolorosa Roche, 1954

Genus Epitolina Aurivillius, 1895

Epitolina melissa Druce, 1888

Genus Hewitsonia Kirby, 1871

Hewitsonia kuehnei Collins and Larsen, 2008

Genus Powellana Bethune-Baker, 1908

Powellana cottoni  Bethune-Baker, 1908

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Subfamily Aphnaeinae Distant, 1884

Genus Pseudaletis Druce, 1888

Pseudaletis antmachus Staudinger, 1887

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Subfamily Polymmatinae Swainson, 1827

Tribe Lycaenesthini Toxopeus, 1929

Genus Anthene Doubleday, 1847

Anthene linulata Aurivillius, 1899

Anthene akoae Libert, 2010

Anthene irumia Stempffer, 1948

Anthene eliasi Cogdon, Kielland and Collins, 1998

Genus Neurellipes Bethune-Baker, 1910

Neurellipes makala Bethune-Baker, 1910

Neurellipes zenkeri Karsch, 1895

Neurellipes lachares Stempffer, 1947

Neurellipes onias Hulstaert, 1924

Genus Triclema Karsch, 1893

Triclema obsoleta Stempffer, 1947

Triclema rufoplagiata Joicey and Talbot, 1921

Triclema lamias d'Abrera, 1980

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Tribe Polyommatini Swainson, 1827

Genus Thermoniphas Karsch, 1895

Thermoniphas. togara Plötz, 1880

Genus Oboronia Karsch, 1893

Oboronia ornata Mabille, 1890

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Subfamily Theclinae Swainson, 1830

Tribe Iolaini Riley, 1958
Genus
Iolaus Hübner, 1819

Iolaus mongiro Stempffer, 1969

Iolaus creta Hewitson, 1878

Iolaus neavei Druce, 1910

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Tribe Deudorigini Doherty, 1886

Genus Deudorix Hewitson, 1863

Deudorix odana Druce, 1887

Genus Hypomyrina Druce, 1891

Hypomyrina nomenia Hewitson, 1874

Hypomyrina fournierae Gabriel, 1939

Genus Paradeudorix Libert, 2004

Paradeudorix canescens Joicey & Talbot, 1921

Genus Pilodeudorix Libert, 2004

Pilodeudorix congoana Plötz, 1880

Pilodeudorix anetia Hulstaert, 1924

Pilodeudorix mera Hewitson, 1873

Pilodeudorix otraeda Hewitson, 1863

Pilodeudorix dimitris d’Abrera, 1980

Pilodeudorix bwamba Stempffer, 1962

Pilodeudorix violetta Aurivillius, 1897

Pilodeudorix camerona Plötz, 1880

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Family Pieridae

Subfamily Pierinae Swainson, 1820

Tribe Teracolini Reuter, 1896

Genus Colotis Hübner, 1819

Colotis aurigineus Butler, 1883 (Forbes capture)

Colotis danae Fabricius, 1775 (Forbes capture)

Colotis evarne Klug, 1829 (Forbes capture)

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Species record confirmations and request

The following species were recorded from Semuliki in Dr Peter Howard's 1991 report 'Nature Conservation in Uganda's Tropical Forest Reserves' from reference collections and literature reviews and presumably were included in the 374 species from the 'Biodiversity Report for Semuliki' (1996) by Dr Tim Davenport and Dr Peter Howard. However, only 309 species were actually identified in the Biodiversity Report list and these 8 species are the only ones I can find of the missing 65 species. It would be great to get images of the following from a museum or in the field:

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Papilio antimachus - found at Kibale and DRC Semliki Valley (Ducarme) so definitely possible

Papilio leucotaenia - found in Kibale but montane habitat seems to be a preference

Papilio jacksoni ruandana - found by Ducarme in DRC Semliki Valley so definitely possible

Papilio rex mimeticus - found by Ducarme in DRC Semliki Valley so possible again

 

Graphium ridleyanus - again from DRC Semliki Valley (Ducarme)

Graphium almansor uganda - again Ducarme, DRC Semliki Valley and also Kibale 

Graphium ucalegon - Central Forest Belt/Ituri (Ducarme) so again possible, and Kibale

Graphium latreillanus - Central Forest Belt/Ituri (Ducarme) so likely

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Specific references:

Ackery, P.R.Smith, C.R. and Vane-Wright, R.I., (1995). Carcasson's African Butterflies: An annotated Catalogue of the Papilionoidea and Hesperioidea of the Afrotropical Region. British Museum (Natural History), London, U.K.

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Bernaud, D., Lequeux, J.P. and Ziraye, M., (2019). Acraeinae of Uganda

 

Davenport, T.R.D. & Howard, P. (1996). Semliki National Park Biodiversity Report. Forest Dept., Kampala.

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Davenport, P., (2003). Endemic butterflies of the Albertine Rift - an annotated checklist. Wildlife Conservation Society, Mbeya.

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Ducarme, R., (2018). The butterflies (Lepidoptera: Papilionoidia) of the north-eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Metamorphosis 29, 22-36.

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Howard, P., (1991). Nature Conservation in Uganda's Tropical Forest Reserves. IUCN/WWF, Forestry Dept., Ministry of Environment Protection, Kampala.

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Libert, M., (2014). Sur la taxonomie du genre Celaenorrhinus Hübner en Afrique (Lepidoptera, Hesperiidae). ABRI, Nairobi.

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Williams, M.C., (2021). Classification of the Afrotropical Butterflies to Generic Level. Publication is available from Lepidopterists' Society of Africa website https://www.lepsocafrica.org/?p=publications&s=atb.

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The website of Dominique Bernaud provides an unrivalled resource on the genus Acraeahttp://www.acraea.com/

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