Ghana Moths

The moth trapping was a bit of a dream come true with finally managing to get a decent moth trap up in the Ghanaian forests thanks to the new Lepilid that was purchased last year. 

We managed to trap most nights apart from a couple of nights when staying at urban hotels. 

432 records in total of 191 provisionally identified species HERE.

Surprisingly, according to ChatGPT there are only 850 or so moth species recorded for Ghana. Ghana I-Nat moth project records 798 species HERE. The I-Nat project also has me as having recorded the most species in Ghana which is frankly ridiculous as I've only been doing it a week. 

In comparison to the butterflies which are well studied in West Africa, Ghana has over 950 species recorded which implies the moth fauna of Ghana is under-recorded.  There are about 3500-4000 butterfly species in Africa so about a quarter have been recorded in Ghana.

Considering there are probably between 17-18000 moth species in Africa and 7000 have been recorded in South Africa alone, it implies that Ghana's moths are very unrecorded (only about 5% of the African total have been recorded in Ghana).  ChatGPT also states that in the wider Afrotropical region there could be tens of thousands of moth species which are still undiscovered and undescribed.   

Basically it all sounds like a very exciting area to be focused on with a real possibility of finding something exciting. It will certainly be a big task to learn the moths of Ghana but have to start somewhere so here's a few pics from this trip with some provisional identifications and will update this as I go along. 

ANKASA

The stunning Eudaemonia argus

Imbrasia sp 

Nephele aequivalens

Comma Nephele. I-Nat AI consistently identifying these as Comma Nephele but the 'comma' seems more of a dot so maybe something like Funebris. 

Polyptychus carteri

Common Striped Hawkmoth

Large Striped Hawkmoth 

Xenimpia sp 

Eporidia dariusalis

Something along these lines HERE or genus Adrougeriana HERE

Gorua partita

Balacra sp. The most commonly recorded Balacra for Ghana I-Nat is flavimacula but doesn't look right for that HERE

Staphmapoda sp

Epilacydes scita

Purple-edged Pearl

Mazuca haemagrapha . If correct id a seldom recorded moth HERE

I-Nat as gone for Cats-Eye Emperor HERE but possibly Nadaurelia petiveri HERE

Mullberry Hawkmoth 

Alpenus maculosa

Eublemma rivula- nice to get another 'Marbled sp'

Fulvous Hawkmoth 

The most commonly recorded one of these apparant bug mimics in Ghana is Parasa euchlora HERE although there are similar species including Latoia sp possibly viridimixta

Whitebanded Nephele

Balacra sp 

Aetholix sp

Ocinara albicollis

KAKUM

Epilacydes scita

Could be Afrowatsonius marginalis HERE

Handmaiden moth sp 

Caphys biliniata

MOLE 

Not a moth but the stunning Cream-bordered Charaxes

Nephele sp. 

Twoband Ozarba

The familiar Scarce Bordered Straw

Crimson speckled or something along those lines with three species in the region of this genus, HERE

Sundowner Moth 

Oriental banner 

Mediterranean Brocade