Checklist of Butterflies of Shimba Hills and the southern Kenya Coastal landscapes, 1957 to 2020

Steve Collins; Szabolcs Sáfián; Julius Beta; Dorine Obondo

doi:10.15468/8vrmz7

Checklist of Butterflies of Shimba Hills and the southern Kenya Coastal landscapes, 1957 to 2020

Citation

Collins S, Sáfián S, Beta J, Obondo D (2022). Checklist of Butterflies of Shimba Hills and the southern Kenya Coastal landscapes, 1957 to 2020. Version 1.1. A Rocha Kenya. Checklist dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/8vrmz7 accessed via GBIF.org on 2024-12-11.

Description

Shimba Hills ecosystem is the key East African biodiversity hotspot that occurs along the South Coast of Kenya in Kwale County. It is diverse and dotted with important biodiversity sites ranging from coastal forests, secondary forest, shrublands and thickets, grasslands to wetlands, and all at varying levels of habitat disturbance. The area is rich with an estimated 35% of butterfly species of Kenya recorded within the landscape. This checklist consists of 362 butterfly species (56 species in the family Hesperiidae, 111 species of Lycaenidae, 134 species of Nymphalidae, 14 species of Papilionidae and 47 species of Pieridae) that have been recorded from the ecosystem. This data was obtained through field observation records as well as butterfly specimens that are preserved in ABRI collection which were captured during numerous field trips using traps or sweep nets.

Purpose

This dataset provides a preliminary species list of butterflies of Shimba Hills and southern Kenya Coastal landscapes which will help to create the best body of evidence possible to guide the conservation work and policy decisions of our focal landscapes. Butterflies are key ecosystem indicators, and their distribution may become a campaign tool towards the conservation of specific habitats, the major goal for this project. It also intends to give a focus for the contemporary survey work and management decision. The records also focus on the priorities of key actions by highlighting species of conservation importance. It also gives access to the first dataset of the approximately 3 million specimens stored in the ABRI collection.

Sampling Description

Study Extent

The checklist comprises of species recorded from Shimba Hills and the entire southern coastal landscape.

Sampling

Intensive butterfly sampling was conducted along paths and small forest roads in the vegetation types. Butterflies were captured during the day using sweep nets either in flight or when settled while others were caught using bait traps. Thereafter the captured butterfly samples were collected carefully after stunning them by pinching the thorax and later preserved in the boxes. In some cases, eggs and caterpillars of different butterfly species were also collected and later bred within ABRI, this helps in the obtaining of perfect series within ABRI cabinets.

Quality Control

The butterfly species names recorded were referenced by the use of; Torben Larsen’s Book on The Butterflies of Kenya and their natural history Global Biodiversity Information Facility Database Catalogue of Life Global Name Resolver And strictly adhering to Darwin’s Core Standards. The species list was crosschecked with the lead author, Steve Collins at ABRI and Szabolcs Sáfián the technical advisor.

Method steps

The bait traps were laid along paths and small roads of different vegetation types to attract butterflies. The collectors captured butterflies either in flight or at rest by the use of sweep nets. Sweep nets were held upside down to collect Butterflies. The Butterfly samples to be retained were then pinched on the thorax. With their wings over the back, the butterflies were then slipped into envelopes or paper triangles. Thereafter, specimens were dried, mounted, labelled and preserved in the ABRI collection. Common butterflies were recorded through site observations. Google Earth was the major tool used to generate coordinates from a central position to represent the general locality. Open refine was the ultimate tool used for data cleaning, with this put to proper use the quality of data was enhanced and common errors made for localities were corrected, Spellings were under check too.

Taxonomic Coverages

Geographic Coverages

The checklist comprises of species that were recorded from Shimba Hills and the Southern Kenya coastal landscape. Coordinates (latitude 4°14’S, longitude 39°24E). Shimba Hill ecosystem includes protected areas such as the Shimba Hills National Reserve, Buda Forest, Mrima Hills Forest, Gongoni Forest, Mwaluganje Community Wildlife Conservancy, Kaya Forests, Community lands and private dams.

Bibliographic Citations

1. Beta, J. O., & Ngaruiya, G. (2021). Butterfly distribution and habitat conservation status at A Rocha Dakatcha Nature Reserve, Kilifi County, Kenya. African Journal of Pure and Applied Sciences, 2(2), 127-135. -
2. Bird Life International (2022) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Shimba Hills.: http://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/shimba-hills-iba-kenya - http://www.birdlife.org
3. Collins S, Jenner D, Jackson C, Ochieng J, Mugalo D (2019). A Checklist of the Butterflies of Arabuko-Sokoke Forest, Kenya. A Rocha Kenya. - https://doi.org/10.15468/bj0vpx
4. Larsen TB (1991). The Butterflies of Kenya and Their Natural History. -
5. Malonza, P. K., Mulwa, D. M., Nyamache, J. O., & Jones, G. (2018). Biogeography of the Shimba Hills ecosystem herpetofauna in Kenya. Zoological Research, 39(2), 97. -
6. Martins, DJ and Collins S. (2016) Butterflies of East Africa. -

Contacts

Steve Collins
originator
position: Director
African Butterfly Research Institute
P.O. BOX 14308
Nairobi
00800
KE
email: collinsabri@gmail.com

Szabolcs Sáfián
originator
position: Research associate
Hungarian Natural History Museum
H-1088 Budapest
Budapest
Baross utca 13
HU
email: szsafian@gmail.com
userId: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0614-4203

Julius Beta
originator
position: Data Capture Clerk
A Rocha Kenya
P.O Box 383
Watamu
80202
KE
email: betajulius46@gmail.com
homepage: https://www.arocha.or.ke/
userId: https://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=https://www.linkedin.com/in/beta-julius-85b867156/

Dorine Obondo
originator
position: Data Capture Clerk
A Rocha Kenya
P.O Box 383
Watamu
80202
KE
email: dorineauma702@gmail.com
homepage: https://www.arocha.or.ke/
userId: https://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=https://www.linkedin.com/in/dorine-obondo-7b8588226/

Steve Collins
metadata author
position: Director
African Butterfly Research Institute
P.O. BOX 14308
Nairobi
00800
KE
email: collinsabri@gmail.com

Szabolcs Sáfián
metadata author
position: Research associate
Hungarian Natural History Museum
H-1088 Budapest
Budapest
Baross utca 13
HU
email: szsafian@gmail.com
userId: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0614-4203

Julius Beta
metadata author
position: Data Capture Clerk
A Rocha Kenya
P.O Box 383
Watamu
80202
KE
email: betajulius46@gmail.com
homepage: https://www.arocha.or.ke/
userId: https://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=https://www.linkedin.com/in/beta-julius-85b867156/

Dorine Obondo
metadata author
position: Data Capture Clerk
A Rocha Kenya
P.O Box 383
Watamu
80202
KE
email: dorineauma702@gmail.com
homepage: https://www.arocha.or.ke/
userId: https://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=https://www.linkedin.com/in/dorine-obondo-7b8588226/

Lawrence Monda
programmer
position: Technical Liaison GBIF Kenya
National Museums of Kenya
P.O Box 40658
Nairobi
KE
email: Imonda@museums.or.ke
homepage: https://www.museums.or.ke/

Judith Ochieng
publisher
position: Project Coordinator- BID/GBIF
A Rocha Kenya
P.O Box 383
Watamu
80202
KE
email: judith.ochieng@arocha.org
homepage: https://www.arocha.or.ke/
userId: https://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=https://www.linkedin.com/in/judith-adhiambo-955399127/

Steve Collins
administrative point of contact
position: Director
African Butterfly Research Institute
P.O. BOX 14308
Nairobi
00800
KE
email: collinsabri@gmail.com