A checklist of Butterflies in Atewa Range Forest Reserve, Eastern Region, Ghana

Study Extent

The dataset was compiled from databases of scientific papers, project reports and a number of unpublished but verifiable observations within the Atewa Forest.

Sampling

This dataset is a compilation of records of butterflies in Atewa. However, during the original data collection, the methods used are described as follows: records were made by collecting specimens using fruit-baited traps and standard butterfly nets along the main access road passing through the reserve, exploratory transects, hunter trails and in the forest interior. A few traps were also set in the tree canopy to increase possibility of trapping species in the Nymphalidae family which are difficult to trap that are difficult to catch with butterfly nets (Aduse-Poku &Doku-Marfo, 2007).

Quality Control

The data was originally entered into an excel spreadsheet and the taxonomy was cross-checked and aligned with LepSoc Africa. Data was then formatted using Darwin Core. Data was cleaned for all other errors using openRefine.

Method steps

1. Existing records of butterfly were reviewed and cross-checked against each other to ensure that the names and any taxonomic alignments were the same as those on LepSoc Africa.

The taxa were identified to either species or subspecies level.

1. Torbenlarsenia perobscura
   rank: species
2. Abantis elegantula
   rank: species
3. Abantis ja usheri
   rank: subspecies
4. Abantis leucogaster
   rank: species
5. Abantis lucretia
   rank: species
6. Acleros mackenii
   rank: species
7. Acleros nigrapex
   rank: species
8. Acleros ploetzi
   rank: species
9. Andronymus fenestra
   rank: species
10. Andronymus caesar caesar
    rank: subspecies
11. Andronymus evander
    rank: species
12. Andronymus helles
    rank: species
13. Andronymus hero
    rank: species
14. Andronymus neander neander
    rank: subspecies
15. Artitropa comus comus
    rank: subspecies
16. Astictopterus anomoeus
    rank: species
17. Borbo fatuellus fatuellus
    rank: subspecies

The butterfly records were compiled from dataset records from Torben Larsen’s book, the Butterflies of West Africa, RAP survey by Conservation International (2007), African Butterfly Research Institute, Nairobi, Kenya (ABRI), The Biodiversity of Atewa Report, Szabolcs Sáfián’s records as well as a review by Szabolcs Sáfián and Jeremy Lindsell in 2019.