Insects of Ghana

On a recent birding trip to Ghana we saw and photographed many butterflies, a few dragonflies, moths and other species which I've documented on this page. Some were identified by our guide James at Ashanti African Tours, others later from online resources including iNaturalist: Ghana butterflies · iNaturalist

Blue Vagrant Nepheronia thalassina

Common Ceres Forester Euphaedra phaethusa

Common Ceres Forester (underwing)

Common Tiger Danaus chrysippus

Western Dotted Border Mylothris chloris

Emperor Swallowtail?

 

Pearl Character?

Janetta Themis Forester Euphaedra janetta

Western Red Glider (female)

Western Red Glider Cymothoe mabillei

Round-winged Orange-Tip Colotis euippe

Soldier Commodore Junonia terea

Striped Policeman Coeliades forestan

Dancing Amber (lower right) Telchinia serena and Small Branded Swift Pelopidas mathias

Fashion Commodore Precis pelarga

Common Leopard Phalanta phalantha

Dark Blue Pansy Junonia oenone

Blue Diadem Hypolimnas salmacis

Eleus Orange Forester Euphaedra eleus

False Chief Pseudacrae lucretia

unidentified white

unidentified skipper

unidentified nymphalid

We also saw African Map, Widespread Forester, Citrus Swallowtail and several Green-banded Swallowtail sp. that I didn't photograph as well as many other smaller butterflies that remained unidentified.

We saw surprisingly few moths, even around lights that were on all night around the lodges. I could only identify the first of these as I've seen it in the UK.

Crimson Speckled

moth sp 1

moth sp 2

There were a couple of mantis seen, both unidentified to species level.

There were a lot of dragonflies seen, some of which we managed to photograph. So far, only a few have been identified so this is still work in progress.

Northern Banded Groundling

Portia Widow

Western Bluewing

dragonfly sp 1

dragonfly sp 2, some sort of 'red' darter

dragonfly sp 3

dragonfly sp 4

dragonfly sp 5 - this was active at night in Mole NP

dragonfly sp 6

Aside from the ants which were the least welcome of our insect encounters, perhaps the most interesting insects were these strange dancing critters: