Butterflies in Nigeria

Brush-Footed (Nymphalidae)

• Blue Diadem (Hypolimnas salmacis)
• Blue Leaf Butterfly (Junonia cymodoce)
• Blue Mother-of-pearl (Protogoniomorpha temora)
• Blue Spot Pansy (Junonia westermanni)
• Brighter Ceres Forester (Euphaedra nigrocilia) [endemic]
• Brown Pansy (Junonia stygia)
• Carlsberg Sailer (Neptis carlsbergi) [endemic]
• Clouded Mother-of-pearl (Protogoniomorpha anacardii)
• Danaid Eggfly (Hypolimnas misippus)
• Dark Blue Pansy (Junonia oenone)
• D’Abrera’s Lysandera Nymph (Euriphene paralysandra) [endemic]
• Fashion Commodore (Precis pelarga)
• Forest Mother-of-pearl (Protogoniomorpha parhassus)
• Gaudy Commodore (Precis octavia)
• Golden Pansy (Junonia chorimene)
• Kagoro Demon Charaxes (Charaxes chevroti) [endemic]
• Kiki’s Nymph (Euriphene kiki) [endemic]
• Large Variable Diadem (Hypolimnas dinarcha)
• Little Commodore (Junonia sophia)
• Mother-of-pearl (Salamis cacta)
• Nigerian Striped Forester (Euphaedra athena) [endemic]
• Ocellated Commodore (Precis coelestina)
• Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui)
• Soldier Commodore (Junonia terea)
• Variable Eggfly (Hypolimnas anthedon)
• Wide-banded Commodore (Precis sinuata)
• Bebearia denticula [endemic]

Gossamer-Winged (Lycaenidae)

• African Moth Butterfly (Euliphyra mirifica)
• Anne’s Epitola (Stempfferia annae)
• Banded Dots (Micropentila fuscula)
• Bassa Liptena (Liptena bassae) [endemic]
• Bethune-Baker’s Epitola (Cephetola nigra)
• Black Flash (Hypophytala nigrescens) [endemic]
• Black-veined Epitola (Stempfferia congoana)
• Black-wing Epitola (Geritola virginea)
• Bolivar’s Liptena (Liptena bolivari)
• Boorman’s Epitola (Stempfferia boormani) [endemic]
• Brown Black-square Epitola (Stempfferia gordoni)
• Brown Dots (Micropentila brunnea)
• Brown Epitola (Stempfferia francisci) [endemic]
• Cameroon Aslauga (Aslauga camerunica)
• Cameroon Cream Pentila (Pentila camerunica)
• Cameroon Telipna (Telipna cameroonensis)
• Cellular Harlequin (Mimeresia cellularis)
• Central Acraea Mimic (Mimacraea apicalis)
• Central Aslauga (Aslauga vininga)
• Cephena Epitola (Cephetola cephena)
• Cercene Epitola (Stempfferia cercene)
• Collins’ Epitolina (Epitolina collinsi)
• Common Acraea Mimic (Mimacraea darwinia)
• Common Dots (Micropentila adelgitha)
• Common Epitola (Stempfferia cercenoides)
• Common Flash (Hypophytala hyettoides)
• Common Giant Epitola (Epitola posthumus)
• Common Harlequin (Mimeresia libentina)
• Common Woolly Legs (Lachnocnema emperamus)
• Cornes’ Pearly (Eresiomera cornesi) [endemic]
• Cream Pierid Blue (Larinopoda lircaea)
• Dark Furry Epitola (Stempfferia carcina)
• Davey’s Epitola (Geritola daveyi)
• Disparate Sylph (Epitolina dispar)
• Divergent Woolly Legs (Lachnocnema divergens)
• Dorothea’s Dots (Micropentila dorothea)
• Druce’s Large Woolly Legs (Lachnocnema luna)
• Elissa Epitola (Stempfferia elissa)
• Elongata Acraea Mimic (Mimacraea charmian)
• Exquisite Sapphire Gem (Iridana exquisita)
• Fairy White (Argyrocheila undifera)
• Ferryman’s Liptena (Liptena ferrymani)
• Fontaine’s Eresina (Eresina fontainei)
• Gerda’s Buff (Toxochitona gerda)
• Gerina Epitola (Geritola gerina)
• Gitte’s Marble (Falcuna gitte) [endemic]
• Good’s Epitola (Geritola goodii)
• Greasy Epitola (Cephetola sublustris)
• Green Tiger Blue (Hewitsonia beryllina)
• Grose-Smith’s Flash (Hypophytala henleyi)
• Holland’s Flash (Hypophytala benitensis)
• Ikoyi Epitola (Stempfferia uniformis) [endemic]
• Ilaro Liptena (Liptena ilaro) [endemic]
• Immaculate Cream Pentila (Pentila glagoessa)
• Incredible Sapphire Gem (Iridana incredibilis)
• Jackson’s Eresina (Eresina jacksoni)
• Jos Zulu (Alaena exotica) [endemic]
• Kirby’s Tiger Blue (Hewitsonia kirbyi)
• Lamborn’s Aslauga (Aslauga lamborni)
• Lamborn’s Furry Epitola (Stempfferia ife) [endemic]
• Large Black Liptena (Liptena orubrum)
• Large Blue Aslauga (Aslauga bella)
• Large Dots (Micropentila adelgunda)
• Large-spotted Red Pentila (Pentila pseudorotha)
• Large Woolly Legs (Lachnocnema magna)
• Large Yellow (Citrinophila erastus)
• Larsen’s Epitolina (Epitolina larseni)
• Larsen’s Glasswing (Torbenia larseni)
• Lesser Moth Butterfly (Euliphyra leucyania)
• Libert’s Glasswing (Torbenia persimilis)
• Libert’s Large Woolly Legs (Lachnocnema albimacula)
• Little Epitola (Stempfferia zelza)
• Maessen’s Eresina (Eresina maesseni)
• Medium Yellow (Citrinophila tenera)
• Melissa Sylph (Epitolina melissa)
• Modest False Dots (Liptena modesta)
• Mylothrid Pentila (Pentila tachyroides)
• Niger Delta Telipna (Telipna rufilla) [endemic]
• Nigerian Buff (Tumerepedes flava) [endemic]
• Nigerian Epitola (Cephetola nigeriae)
• Nigerian Glasswing (Ornipholidotos nigeriae)
• Nigerian Pearly (Eresiomera nigeriana) [endemic]
• Nigerian Red Pentila (Pentila nigeriana) [endemic]
• Nigerian Sapphire Gem (Iridana nigeriana)
• Obudu Liptena (Liptena priscilla) [endemic]
• Ogoja On-off (Tetrarhanis ogojae)
• Okwangwo On-off (Tetrarhanis okwangwo)
• Onitsha Glasswing (Ornipholidotos onitshae)
• Onitsha On-off (Tetrarhanis onitshae) [endemic]
• Orange Obania (Obania tullia)
• Pink Liptena (Liptena evanescens)
• Poulton’s Epitola (Stempfferia katherinae) [endemic]
• Purple Giant Epitola (Epitola urania)
• Rare Brown Dots (Micropentila flavopunctata)
• Red Harlequin (Mimeresia dinora)
• Red-patch Epitolina (Epitolina catori)
• Red-patch Liptena (Liptena catalina)
• Reutlinger’ Large Woolly Legs (Lachnocnema reutlingeri)
• Roche’s Epitola (Cephetola subcoerulea)
• Roth’s Telipna (Telipna rothi) [endemic]
• Rougeot’s Eresina (Eresina rougeoti)
• Rougeot’s Sapphire Gem (Iridana rougeoti)
• Sanguine Telpina (Telipna sanguinea)
• Scalloped Epitola (Stempfferia marginata)
• Schmitt’s Eresina (Eresina schmitti) [endemic]
• Semibrown Epitola (Cerautola semibrunnea)
• Seven-striped Liptena (Liptena septistrigata)
• Silvery Epitola (Cerautola ceraunia)
• Similar Liptena (Liptena similis)
• Similar Yellow (Citrinophila similis)
• Simple On-off (Tetrarhanis simplex)
• Small Black Liptena (Liptena despecta)
• Small Ochre Liptena (Liptena eketi)
• St. Leger’s Epitola (Cerautola legeri) [endemic]
• Stempffer’s On-off (Tetrarhanis stempfferi)
• Stempffer’s Tiger Blue (Hewitsonia danane)
• Suffert’s Liptena (Liptena augusta)
• Swollen Epitola (Stempfferia tumentia)
• Tite’s Liptena (Liptena titei)
• Toothed Epitola (Stempfferia subtumescens) [endemic]
• Toothed White Woolly Legs (Lachnocnema disrupta)
• Ultramarine Flash (Hypophytala ultramarina)
• Unexpected Tiger Blue (Hewitsonia inexpectata)
• Unmarked Red Pentila (Pentila occidentalium)
• Untidy Liptena (Liptena eukrinaria)
• Variable Harlequin (Pseuderesia eleaza)
• Warm Sienna Eresina (Eresina pseudofusca)
• Warri Epitola (Geritola frankdaveyi) [endemic]
• Western Aslauga (Aslauga marginalis)
• Western Isabella (Teratoneura isabellae)
• Western Kakumia (Kakumia otlauga)
• Western Moth Butterfly (Euliphyra hewitsoni)
• Western Woolly Legs (Lachnocnema vuattouxi)
• White On-off (Tetrarhanis nubifera)
• White Pierid Blue (Larinopoda lagyra)
• White Woolly Legs (Lachnocnema exiguus)
• Yellow Liptena (Liptena xanthostola)
• Ornipholidotos boormani [endemic]

Whites and Sulphurs (Pieridae)

• African Albatross (Appias epaphia)
• African Common White (Belenois creona)
• African Veined White (Belenois gidica)
• African Wood White (Leptosia alcesta)
• Autumn-leaf Vagrant (Eronia leda)
• Black-edged Spirit (Leptosia marginea)
• Black-Veined White (Dixeia doxo)
• Buquet’s Vagrant (Nepheronia buquetii)
• Calypso White (Belenois calypso)
• Central Caper White (Belenois theuszi)
• Common Dotted Border (Mylothris rhodope)
• Common Evening Brown (Nepheronia argia)
• Congo White (Appias phaola)
• Creamy Small White (Dixeia orbona)
• Desert Orange-tip (Colotis liagore)
• Even-bordered Grass Yellow (Eurema regularis)
• False Dotted Border (Belenois solilucis)
• Forest Grass Yellow (Eurema senegalensis)
• Golden Arab-tip (Colotis chrysonome)
• Great Evening Brown (Nepheronia pharis)
• Hybrid Wood White (Leptosia hybrida)
• Jackson’s Dotted Border (Mylothris jacksoni)
• Marsh Grass Yellow (Eurema hapale)
• No-brand Grass-yellow (Eurema brigitta)
• Northern Caper White (Belenois subeida)
• Ochreous Dotted Border (Mylothris ochracea)
• Petite Wood White (Leptosia nupta)
• Pioneer White (Belenois aurota)
• Primrose Dotted Border (Mylothris primulina) [endemic]
• Red Tip (Colotis antevippe)
• Sabine Albatross (Appias sabina)
• Schumann’s Dotted Border (Mylothris schumanni)
• Silver Orange-tip (Colotis phisadia)
• Sjoestedt’s Dotted Border (Mylothris sjostedti)
• Smoky Dotted Border (Mylothris rembina)
• Spotted Crimson (Colotis euippe)
• Sulphur Dotted Border (Mylothris sulphurea)
• Vine-leaf Vagrant (Eronia cleodora)
• Western Dotted Border (Mylothris chloris)
• Woodland Albatross White (Appias sylvia)
• Yellow Splendour Tip (Colotis protomedia)
• Mylothris eximia [endemic]
• Mylothris knoopi [endemic]
• Mylothris lucens [endemic]

Metalmark (Riodinidae)

• Plain Judy (Abisara intermedia) 
• Blue Judy (Abisara talantus)
• Scalloped Judy (Abisara rutherfordii)
• Dark Banded Judy (Abisara gerontes)
• Light Banded Judy (Abisara rogersi)
• Cameroon Judy (Abisara cameroonensis)

Swallowtail (Papilionidae) 

• Acraea Swordtail (Graphium ridleyanus)
• African Giant Swallowtail (Papilio antimachus)
• Boisduval’s White Lady (Graphium adamastor)
• Citrus Swallowtail (Papilio demodocus)
• Creamy Graphium (Graphium ucalegon)
• Dancing Swordtail (Graphium polistratus)
• Electric Green Swordtail (Graphium tynderaeus)
• Emperor Swallowtail (Papilio hesperus)
• Gauthier’s striped swordtail (Graphium biokoensis)
• Giant Blue Swallowtail (Papilio zalmoxis)
• Green-banded Swallowtail (Papilio sosia)
• Larger Striped Swallowtail (Graphium antheus)
• Mimetic Swallowtail (Papilio cynorta)
• Mocker Swallowtail (Papilio dardanus)
• Mountain Mimetic Swallowtail (Papilio plagiatus)
• Narrow-banded Swallowtail (Papilio gallienus)
• Nireus Swallowtail (Papilio nireus)
• Simon’s Graphium (Graphium simoni)
• Tailed Green-banded Swallowtail (Papilio charopus)
• Veined Swordtail (Graphium leonidas)
• Western Emperor Swallowtail (Papilio menestheus)
• Westwood’s White Lady (Graphium agamedes)
• Zenobia Swallowtail (Papilio zenobia)

Skipper (Hesperiidae)

• African Giant Skipper (Pyrrhochalcia iphis)
• Betton’s Sprite (Celaenorrhinus bettoni)
• Blue Policeman (Coeliades libeon)
• Bouvier’s Grass Skipper (Sarangesa bouvieri)
• Bronze Policeman (Coeliades chalybe)
• Central Sprite (Celaenorrhinus chrysoglossa)
• Common Elfin (Sarangesa thecla)
• Common Orange Sprite (Celaenorrhinus galenus)
• Dark Blue Policeman (Coeliades bixana)
• Evan’s Orange Sprite (Celaenorrhinus ovalis)
• Forest Policeman (Coeliades forestan)
• Hanno’s Policeman (Coeliades hanno)
• Holland’s Scarce Sprite (Loxolexis hollandi)
• Illustrious Sprite (Celaenorrhinus illustris)
• Large Orange Sprite (Celaenorrhinus meditrina)
• Lesser Blue-dusted Elfin (Sarangesa majorella)
• Melanic Grass Skipper (Eretis melania)
• Obudu Forest Sylph (Ceratrichia lewisi) [endemic]
• Orange Flat (Sarangesa phidyle)
• Savanna Elf (Eretis lugens)
• Two-pip Policeman (Coeliades pisistratus)

The Oban-Karup forest is the best place to experience Nigeria’s butterfly diversity.