Butterflies in Ghana

Brush-Footed (Nymphalidae)

• Abdera Acraea (Pseudathyma sibyllina)
• Absolon Forester (Bebearia absolon)
• African Castor (Ariadne enotrea)
• African Map Butterfly (Cyrestis camillus)
• Violet-eyed Evening Brown (Melanitis libya)
• Forest Patroller (Heteropsis peitho)
• African Snout Butterfly (Libythea labdaca)
• Atossa Nymph (Euriphene atossa)
• Bamboo Charaxes (Charaxes boueti)
• Black Friar (Amauris hecate)
• Black-bordered Charaxes (Charaxes pollux)
• Blue Demon Charaxes (Charaxes virilis)
• Danaid Eggfly (Hypolimnas misippus)
• Blue Leaf Butterfly (Junonia chorimene)
• Blue Monarch (Tirumala petiverana)
• Blue Pansy (Junonia oenone)
• Blue Patch Charaxes (Charaxes lactetinctus)
• Blue Spot Pansy (Junonia terea)
• Blue-spotted Charaxes (Charaxes ameliae)
• Boisduval’s False Acraea (Pseudacraea boisduvalii)
• Bonasia Acraea (Acraea aurivillii)
• Brown Pansy (Junonia sophia)
• Clouded Mother-of-pearl (Precis sinuata)
• Common Acraea (Acraea encedana)
• Common Blue Charaxes (Charaxes tiridates)
• Common Blue-banded Forester (Euphaedra perseis)
• Common Bush Brown (Bicyclus abnormis)
• Common Ceres Forester (Euphaedra ceres)
• Common Club-dot Sailer (Neptis agouale)
• Common Commander (Euryphura chalcis)
• Common Euptera (Euptera crowleyi)
• Common Glassy Acraea (Acraea pseudepaea)
• Common Glider (Cymothoe caenis)
• Forest Leopard (Phalanta eurytis)
• Common Nymph (Euriphene barombina)
• Common Orange Forester (Euphaedra edwardsii)
• Common Red Charaxes (Charaxes lucretius)
• Common Ringlet (Ypthima vuattouxi)
• Common Themis Forester (Euphaedra themis)
• Condamin’s Bush Brown (Bicyclus sambulos)
• Constricted Club-dot Sailer (Neptis troundi)
• Large Variable Diadem (Hypolimnas dinarcha)
• Dancing Acraea (Acraea rogersi)
• Dark Blue Pansy (Junonia hierta)
• Dark Vulgar Bush Brown (Bicyclus dorothea)
• Doriclea Nymph (Euriphene doriclea)
• Doubleday’s Untailed Charaxes (Charaxes doubledayi)
• Dusky Evening Brown (Gnophodes betsimena)
• Dusky Friar (Amauris tartarea)
• Edward’s Forester (Euphaedra zampa)
• Blood-brother Bematistes (Bematistes consanguinea)
• Eleus Orange Forester (Euphaedra francina)
• Euphaedra Charaxes (Charaxes fournierae)
• Evening Brown (Gnophodes chelys)
• Falcate Acraea (Acraea peneleos)
• Falcate Red Charaxes (Charaxes paphianus)
• False Diadem (Pseudacraea lucretia)
• False Wanderer (Pseudacraea eurytus)
• Fashion Commodore (Precis octavia)
• Flame-bordered Emperor (Charaxes protoclea)
• Forest Glade Nymph (Aterica galene)
• Forest Leopard (Lachnoptera anticlia)
• Forest Mother-of-pearl (Protogoniomorpha cytora)
• Friar (Amauris niavius)
• Gaudy Commodore (Precis ceryne)
• Ghana Ceres Forester (Euphaedra ignota)
• Giant Emperor (Charaxes castor)
• Golden Pansy (Hypolimnas salmacis)
• Golden Piper (Eurytela dryope)
• Green Demon Charaxes (Charaxes cedreatis)
• Green False Acraea (Pseudacraea semire)
• Grey Bush Brown (Bicyclus nobilis)
• Grose-Smith’s Nymph (Euriphene grosesmithi)
• Guineafowl (Hamanumida daedalus)
• Hadrian’s White Charaxes (Charaxes hadrianus)
• Herminia Glider (Cymothoe herminia)
• Hewitson’s Acraea (Acraea alcinoe)
• Hildebrandt’s Charaxes (Charaxes hildebrandti)
• Ignoble Bush Brown (Bicyclus trilophus)
• Imperial Blue Charaxes (Charaxes imperialis)
• Janetta Themis Forester (Euphaedra modesta)
• Jodutta Acraea (Acraea eugenia)
• Kiriakoff’s Sailer (Neptis kiriakoffi)
• Kraka Glassy Acraea (Acraea jodutta)
• Large Alciope Acraea (Acraea alciope)
• Large Bush Brown (Bicyclus ephorus)
• Large Marble Bush Brown (Bicyclus sangmelinae)
• Large Pathfinder (Catuna angustatum)
• Large Smoky Acraea (Acraea caecilia)
• Large Spotted Acraea (Acraea vestalis)
• Large True Forester (Euphaedra sarcoptera)
• Large Variable Diadem (Hypolimnas anthedon)
• Le Doux’s Glassy Acraea (Acraea encedon)
• Lesser Blue Charaxes (Charaxes numenes)
• Lesser Rock Bush Brown (Bicyclus pavonis)
• Light Bush Brown (Bicyclus vulgaris)
• Light-brown Forester (Bebearia zonara)
• Little Commodore (Junonia orithya)
• Little Sailer (Neptis puella)
• Lycoa Acraea (Acraea leucographa)
• Mandinga Forester (Bebearia mandinga)
• Manx Charaxes (Charaxes nichetes)
• Marsh Commodore (Precis antilope)
• Marsh Ringlet (Ypthima impura)
• Mother-of-pearl (Protogoniomorpha parhassus)
• Nemetes Sailer (Neptis nemetes)
• Noble White Charaxes (Charaxes nobilis)
• Northcott’s Charaxes (Charaxes northcotti)
• Oberthür’s Pathfinder (Catuna oberthueri)
• Ochreous Tree Nymph (Sevenia umbrina)
• Orestia Glassy Acraea (Acraea neobule)
• Orina Acraea (Acraea orestia)
• Ornate Green Charaxes (Charaxes subornatus)
• Painted Empress (Apaturopsis cleochares)
• Lilac Mother-of-pearl (Salamis cacta)
• Pearl Emperor (Charaxes varanes)
• Pharsalus Acraea (Acraea perenna)
• Pierre’s Acraea (Acraea egina)
• Pink Acraea (Acraea bonasia)
• Pink-washed Demon Charaxes (Charaxes plantroui)
• Plain Tiger (Danaus chrysippus)
• Porthos Untailed Charaxes (Charaxes porthos)
• Rare Musanga Acraea (Acraea umbra)
• Ribbe’s Glassy Acraea (Acraea kraka)
• Rock Bush Brown (Bicyclus procora)
• Rogers’s Large Acraea (Acraea quirina)
• Savanna Demon Charaxes (Charaxes viola)
• Savanna Sailer (Neptis morosa)
• Savannah Charaxes (Charaxes etesipe)
• Scarce Clubbed Sailer (Neptis nicobule)
• Shining Blue Forester (Bebearia carshena)
• Shining Red Charaxes (Charaxes zingha)
• Small Flame-bordered Charaxes (Charaxes anticlea)
• Small Monk (Amauris damocles)
• Small Yellow-banded Acraea (Acraea abdera)
• Smoky Bematistes (Acraea vesperalis)
• Soldier Commodore (Junonia stygia)
• Sophus Forester (Bebearia sophus)
• Spotted Joker (Byblia ilithyia)
• Startled Bush Brown (Bicyclus campa)
• Streaked Sailer (Neptis melicerta)
• Strigate Sailer (Neptis strigata)
• Suffert’s Commander (Euryphura togoensis)
• Swamp Palm Forester (Bebearia paludicola)
• Tailed Bush Brown (Bicyclus sandace)
• Translucent Acraea (Acraea serena)
• Two-tailed Pasha (Charaxes epijasius)
• Unmarked Pink Forester (Euphaedra diffusa)
• Variable Eggfly (Catacroptera cloanthe)
• Violet-banded Palla (Palla violinitens)
• Vulgar Bush Brown (Bicyclus taenias)
• Wandering Donkey Acraea (Acraea macaria)
• Western Musanga Acraea (Acraea pharsalus)
• Western Blotched Leopard (Acraea zetes)
• Western Blue Beauty (Protogoniomorpha anacardii)
• Western Blue Charaxes (Charaxes smaragdalis)
• Weymer’s Glider (Cymothoe weymeri)
• White Acraea (Acraea camaena)
• White-banded Castor (Ariadne albifascia)
• White-banded Palla (Palla decius)
• White-barred Emperor (Charaxes brutus)
• White-tipped Bush Brown (Bicyclus angulosa)
• Wide-banded Commodore (Precis pelarga)
• Volta Pansy (Junonia hadrope)
• Yellow-base Sailer (Neptis metella)
• Heteropsis decira

Gossamer-Winged (Lycaenidae)

• Acraea Blue (Aethiopana honorius)
• African Babul Blue (Azanus jesous)
• African Line Blue (Pseudonacaduba sichela)
• African Moth Butterfly (Euliphyra mirifica)
• Anomalous Ciliate Blue (Anthene juba)
• Audeoud’s Blue (Cacyreus audeoudi)
• Barker’s Smoky Blue (Euchrysops barkeri)
• Black-bordered Babul Blue (Azanus moriqua)
• Black-spotted Ciliate Blue (Cupidesthes mimetica)
• Black-striped Hairtail (Anthene amarah)
• Black-wing Epitola (Geritola virginea)
• Bright Babul Blue (Azanus ubaldus)
• Brown Dots (Micropentila brunnea)
• Capronnier’s Cupid (Euchrysops albistriata)
• Cellular Harlequin (Mimeresia cellularis)
• Cephena Epitola (Cephetola cephena)
• Cercene Epitola (Stempfferia cercene)
• Common Acraea Mimic (Mimacraea darwinia)
• Common Bush Blue (Cacyreus lingeus)
• Common Dots (Micropentila adelgitha)
• Common Flash (Hypophytala hyettoides)
• Common Giant Epitola (Epitola posthumus)
• Common Ginger White (Oboronia punctatus)
• Common Hairtail (Anthene definita)
• Common Harlequin (Mimeresia libentina)
• Common Indigo Ciliate Blue (Anthene sylvanus)
• Common Meadow Blue (Cupidopsis cissus)
• Common Pearly (Eresiomera isca)
• Common Smoky Blue (Euchrysops malathana)
• Crawshay’s Hairtail (Anthene crawshayi)
• Cupreous Hairtail (Anthene princeps)
• Curious Ciliate Blue (Anthene locuples)
• Debora’s Harlequin (Mimeresia debora)
• Disparate Sylph (Epitolina dispar)
• Dorothea’s Dots (Micropentila dorothea)
• Druce’s Large Woolly Legs (Lachnocnema luna)
• Dudgeon’s Cupid (Eicochrysops dudgeoni)
• Eltringham’s Sapphire Gem (Iridana hypocala)
• Exquisite Sapphire Gem (Iridana exquisita)
• Fairy White (Argyrocheila undifera)
• Ferryman’s Liptena (Liptena ferrymani)
• Gerina Epitola (Geritola gerina)
• Ghana Sapphire Gem (Iridana ghanana)
• Golden Ciliate Blue (Anthene scintillula)
• Grass Jewel (Freyeria trochylus)
• Greasy Epitola (Cephetola sublustris)
• Grose-Smith’s Flash (Hypophytala henleyi)
• Güssfeldt’s Blue (Oboronia guessfeldti)
• Holland’s Flash (Hypophytala benitensis)
• Imitating Aslauga (Aslauga imitans)
• Incredible Sapphire Gem (Iridana incredibilis)
• Indigo Ciliate Blue (Anthene rubricinctus)
• Irumu Ciliate Blue (Anthene irumu)
• Jackson’s Cupid (Euchrysops reducta)
• Jeannel’s Blue (Leptotes jeanneli)
• Lamborn’s Aslauga (Aslauga lamborni)
• Lang’s Short-tailed Blue (Leptotes pirithous)
• Large Dots (Micropentila adelgunda)
• Large Tiger Blue (Hewitsonia boisduvalii)
• Large Yellow (Citrinophila erastus)
• Leonine Ciliate Blue (Cupidesthes leonina)
• Lesser Indigo Ciliate Blue (Anthene ligures)
• Lesser Moth Butterfly (Euliphyra leucyania)
• Libert’s Large Woolly Legs (Lachnocnema albimacula)
• Light Ginger White (Oboronia pseudopunctatus)
• Liodes Hairtail (Anthene liodes)
• Little Epitola (Stempfferia zelza)
• Long-tailed Blue (Lampides boeticus)
• Lunulated Hairtail (Anthene lunulata)
• Maessen’s Eresina (Eresina maesseni)
• Mediterranean Pierrot (Tarucus rosacea)
• Melissa Sylph (Epitolina melissa)
• Nigerian Glasswing (Ornipholidotos nigeriae)
• Nigerian Sapphire Gem (Iridana nigeriana)
• Onitsha Glasswing (Ornipholidotos onitshae)
• Osiris Smoky Blue (Euchrysops osiris)
• Pale Babul Blue (Azanus mirza)
• Pied Blue (Phlyaria cyara)
• Pink Liptena (Liptena evanescens)
• Punguse’s Ciliate Blue (Cupidesthes pungusei)
• Purple Giant Epitola (Epitola urania)
• Rayed Blue (Actizera lucida)
• Red-patch Epitolina (Epitolina catori)
• Red-patch Liptena (Liptena catalina)
• Reutlinger’ Large Woolly Legs (Lachnocnema reutlingeri)
• Roche’s Epitola (Cephetola subcoerulea)
• Seven-striped Liptena (Liptena septistrigata)
• Short-toothed Blue (Leptotes brevidentatus)
• Silky Ciliate Blue (Anthene lachares)
• Silvery Epitola (Cerautola ceraunia)
• Similar Liptena (Liptena similis)
• Similar Yellow (Citrinophila similis)
• Sky-blue Cupid (Chilades eleusis)
• Spotted Hairtail (Anthene larydas)
• Stempffer’s On-off (Tetrarhanis stempfferi)
• Tinted Blue (Thermoniphas micylus)
• Toothed White Woolly Legs (Lachnocnema disrupta)
• Unexpected Tiger Blue (Hewitsonia inexpectata)
• Ungemach’s Pierrot (Tarucus ungemachi)
• Vane-Wright’s Glasswing (Ornipholidotos irwini)
• Variable Harlequin (Pseuderesia eleaza)
• Violet-spotted Ciliate Blue (Anthene lysicles)
• Volta Ciliate Blue (Cupidesthes lithas)
• Warm Sienna Eresina (Eresina pseudofusca)
• Western Aslauga (Aslauga marginalis)
• Western Black-spot Ciliate Blue (Anthene starki)
• Western Brown-edged Cupid (Euchrysops sahelianus)
• Western Giant Cupid (Lepidochrysops parsimon)
• Western Kakumia (Kakumia otlauga)
• Western Moth Butterfly (Euliphyra hewitsoni)
• Western Woolly Legs (Lachnocnema vuattouxi)
• White-banded Babul Blue (Azanus isis)
• White-tipped Blue (Eicochrysops hippocrates)
• Wilson’s Hairtail (Anthene wilsoni)
• Yellow Liptena (Liptena xanthostola)

Whites and Sulphurs (Pieridae)

• African Albatross (Appias epaphia)
• African Common White (Belenois creona)
• African Veined White (Belenois gidica)
• African Wood White (Leptosia alcesta)
• Black-edged Spirit (Leptosia marginea)
• Black-Veined White (Dixeia doxo)
• Calypso White (Belenois calypso)
• Common Dotted Border (Mylothris rhodope)
• Common Evening Brown (Nepheronia argia)
• Common Grass Yellow (Eurema hecabe)
• Congo White (Appias phaola)
• Creamy Small White (Dixeia orbona)
• Crimsontip (Colotis danae)
• Forest Grass Yellow (Eurema senegalensis)
• Great Evening Brown (Nepheronia pharis)
• Hybrid Wood White (Leptosia hybrida)
• Lilac Tip (Colotis celimene)
• Malagasy Grass Yellow (Eurema floricola)
• Marsh Grass Yellow (Eurema hapale)
• No-brand Grass-yellow (Eurema brigitta)
• Northern Caper White (Belenois subeida)
• Pale Grass Blue (Catopsilia florella)
• Pioneer White (Belenois aurota)
• Red Tip (Colotis antevippe)
• Sabine Albatross (Appias sabina)
• Schumann’s Dotted Border (Mylothris schumanni)
• Small Orange-tip (Colotis evagore)
• Spotted Crimson (Colotis euippe)
• Western Dotted Border (Mylothris chloris)
• Woodland Albatross White (Appias sylvia)

Metalmark (Riodinidae)

• Dark Banded Judy (Abisara gerontes)
• Plain Judy (Abisara intermedia)
• Blue-spot Judy (Abisara tantalus)

Swallowtail (Papilionidae) 

• African Giant Swallowtail (Papilio antimachus)
• Almansor White-lady Swallowtail (Graphium almansor)
• Angola White Lady (Graphium angolanus)
• Apple-green Swallowtail (Papilio phorcas)
• Boisduval’s White Lady (Graphium adamastor)
• Broadly Green-banded Swallowtail (Papilio chrapkowskoides)
• Citrus Swallowtail (Papilio demodocus)
• Common Swordtail (Graphium policenes)
• Coppery Swordtail (Graphium latreillianus)
• Electric Green Swordtail (Graphium tynderaeus)
• Giant Blue Swallowtail (Papilio zalmoxis)
• Green-banded Swallowtail (Papilio sosia)
• Larger Striped Swallowtail (Graphium antheus)
• Mimetic Swallowtail (Papilio cynorta)
• Mocker Swallowtail (Papilio dardanus)
• Nireus Swallowtail (Papilio nireus)
• Veined Swordtail (Graphium leonidas)
• Western Bush Kite Swallowtail (Papilio horribilis)
• Western Emperor Swallowtail (Papilio menestheus)
• Westwood’s White Lady (Graphium agamedes)
• Zenobia Swallowtail (Papilio zenobia)

Skipper (Hesperiidae)

• Abject Hopper (Astictopterus abjecta)
• African Giant Skipper (Pyrrhochalcia iphis)
• Bina Leaf Sitter (Gorgyra bina)
• Black Grass Skipper (Monza alberti)
• Black-tufted White-spots (Osmodes lindseyi)
• Black-veined White-spots (Osmodes costatus)
• Blotched Leaf Sitter (Gorgyra aretina)
• Spotless Policeman (Coeliades libeon)
• Borbo Skipper (Borbo borbonica)
• Bronze Policeman (Coeliades chalybe)
• Brown Forest Swift (Melphina noctula)
• Common Acraea Skipper (Fresna netopha)
• Common Crepuscular Skipper (Gretna waga)
• Common Dart (Andronymus neander)
• Common Forest Swift (Melphina unistriga)
• Common Leaf Sitter (Gorgyra sara)
• Common Recluse (Caenides dacela)
• Common White-spots (Osmodes thora)
• Confused Recluse (Leona stoehri)
• Dark Blue Policeman (Coeliades bixana)
• Dark Brown Missile (Meza mabea)
• Dark Leaf Sitter (Gorgyra diversata)
• Detached White-spots (Osmodes lux)
• Drab Three-spot Missile (Meza cybeutes)
• Evan’s Recluse (Leona halma)
• Evans’ Acraea Skipper (Fresna carlo)
• Fanta Swift (Borbo fanta)
• Striped Policeman (Coeliades forestan)
• Giant Crepuscular Skipper (Gretna balenge)
• Grand Skipper (Gamia buchholzi)
• Hanno’s Policeman (Coeliades hanno)
• Large Acraea Skipper (Fresna cojo)
• Large Leaf Sitter (Gorgyra afikpo)
• Large Recluse (Leona binoevatus)
• Large White-spots (Osmodes laronia)
• Lesser Crepuscular Skipper (Gretna cylinda)
• Lesser Grand Skipper (Gamia shelleyi)
• Lesser Ochreous Dart (Andronymus helles)
• Lobed Skipper (Osphantes ogowena)
• Maessen’s Acraea Skipper (Fresna maesseni)
• Marsh Hottentot Skipper (Gegenes hottentota)
• Melou’s Recluse (Leona meloui)
• Miller’s Leaf Sitter (Gorgyra bule)
• Mocquery’s leaf sitter (Gorgyra mocquerysii)
• No-spot Recluse (Caenides dacenilla)
• Obsolete White-spots (Osmodes omar)
• Ochreous Dart (Andronymus evander)
• Otilia’s Recluse (Caenides otilia)
• Pale Leaf Sitter (Gorgyra pali)
• Pearl-spotted Forest Sylph (Ceratrichia argyrosticta)
• Powdered Dusky Skipper (Acleros nigrapex)
• Pygmy Skipper (Gegenes pumilio)
• Scarce Dart (Andronymus hero)
• Scarce Forest Swift (Melphina tarace)
• Scarce Small Recluse (Leona lota)
• Small Swift (Borbo perobscura)
• Snowy Missile (Meza indusiata)
• Tufted Forest Sylph (Ceratrichia semilutea)
• Twin Swift (Borbo gemella)
• Two-pip Policeman (Coeliades pisistratus)
• Unbranded Recluse (Caenides xychus)
• Well-spotted Recluse (Caenides soritia)
• Western Nightfighter (Artitropa comus)
• White Dart (Andronymus caesar)
• White-fringed Recluse (Caenides dacena)
• White-spotted Recluse (Leona leonora)
• White-tufted Leaf Sitter (Gorgyra heterochrus)
• Yellow Forest Swift (Melphina flavina)
• Yellow-spotted Recluse (Caenides kangvensis)

The most notable place to see butterflies in Ghana is the butterfly sanctuary in the Bobiri Forest.