First records of 31 species of butterflies and moths (Lepidoptera) in Cameroon, with remarks on their elevational ranges

Sylvain Delabye; Vincent Maicher; Szabolcs Sáfián; Pavel Potocký; Jan E J Mertens; Łukasz Przybyłowicz; Mercy Murkwe; Ishmeal N Kobe; Eric B Fokam; Štěpán Janeček; Robert Tropek

doi:10.3897/BDJ.8.e50543

First records of 31 species of butterflies and moths (Lepidoptera) in Cameroon, with remarks on their elevational ranges

Biodivers Data J. 2020 Mar 5:8:e50543. doi: 10.3897/BDJ.8.e50543. eCollection 2020.

Authors

Sylvain Delabye^{1

2}, Vincent Maicher^{1

3}, Szabolcs Sáfián^{2

4}, Pavel Potocký¹, Jan E J Mertens^{5

3}, Łukasz Przybyłowicz⁶, Mercy Murkwe⁷, Ishmeal N Kobe³, Eric B Fokam⁷, Štěpán Janeček³, Robert Tropek^{1

3}

Affiliations

¹ Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Science, Institute of Entomology, Branisovska 31, CZ-37005 Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Science, Institute of Entomology Branisovska 31, CZ-37005 Ceske Budejovice Czech Republic.
² Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branisovska 1760, CZ-37005 Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia Branisovska 1760, CZ-37005 Ceske Budejovice Czech Republic.
³ Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Vinicna 7, CZ-12844 Prague, Czech Republic Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University Vinicna 7, CZ-12844 Prague Czech Republic.
⁴ Institute of Silviculture and Forest Protection, Faculty of Forestry, University of West Hungary, Bajcsy-Zsilinszky utca 4, H-9400 Sopron, Hungary Institute of Silviculture and Forest Protection, Faculty of Forestry, University of West Hungary Bajcsy-Zsilinszky utca 4, H-9400 Sopron Hungary.
⁵ Biodiversity Inventory for Conservation NPO (BINCO), Walmersumstraat 44, 3380 Glabbeek, Belgium Biodiversity Inventory for Conservation NPO (BINCO) Walmersumstraat 44, 3380 Glabbeek Belgium.
⁶ Institute of Systematics and Evolution of Animals, Polish Academy of Sciences, Sławkowska 17, PL-31-016 Krakow, Poland Institute of Systematics and Evolution of Animals, Polish Academy of Sciences Sławkowska 17, PL-31-016 Krakow Poland.
⁷ Department of Zoology and Animal Physiology, Faculty of Science, University of Buea, P.O. Box 63, Buea, Cameroon Department of Zoology and Animal Physiology, Faculty of Science, University of Buea P.O. Box 63, Buea Cameroon.

Abstract

Background: The biodiversity of West and Central Africa is understudied, including butterflies and moths (Lepidoptera). Cameroon, through its position in between few biogeographic regions and diversity of habitats, is an important hotspot of lepidopteran diversity. However, the country also ranks low when it comes to local biodiversity knowledge. During our long-term ecological projects in the Cameroonian part of the Gulf of Guinea Highlands, we collected rich material of butterflies and moths, including a number of interesting faunistic records.

New information: In this study, we report 31 species of butterflies and moths which have not yet been recorded in Cameroon. These species comprised eight new genera records for the country. In many cases, our records represented an important extension of the species' known distribution, including ten species whose distribution ranges extended into the Guinean biogeographic region. We also comment on the species' elevational distribution ranges on Mount Cameroon where most of our records originated. Additionally, we confirm the presence of a butterfly Telchinia encedena, after more than a century since its first and so far its only record in Cameroon.

Keywords: Afrotropics; Bamenda Highlands; Mount Cameroon; bait-trapping; faunistics; light-trapping.

Sylvain Delabye, Vincent Maicher, Szabolcs Sáfián, Pavel Potocký, Jan E.J. Mertens, Łukasz Przybyłowicz, Mercy Murkwe, Ishmeal N. Kobe, Eric B. Fokam, Štěpán Janeček, Robert Tropek.