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Text and photographs protected by Copyright © Adrian Hoskins 2007, and must not be published in part or in whole elsewhere without prior written permission from the author.
Butterflies of West Africa
 
Common Forester
Euphaedra medon LINNAEUS, 1758
Family - NYMPHALIDAE
subfamily - LIMENITIDINAE
Tribe - LIMENITIDINI
 
 introduction | habitats | lifecycle | adult behaviour
 
Euphaedra medon, female, Baobeng-Fiema, Ghana
 
Introduction
 
The genus Euphaedra comprises of a yet to be discerned number of large and very beautiful forest-dwelling butterflies, all found on the African continent. According to Hecq the total number of species could be as high as 154, but this is challenged by a number of other entomologists who believe that many of these are merely geographical forms of a much more limited number of species.
 
The butterflies all have a common wing shape and most have a similar pattern on the upperside, but the undersides vary considerably, some species being very plain beneath, while others are very strikingly marked with black stigmata and scarlet streaks across their bright yellow hindwings.
 
The female of medon has a wingspan of about 8cms, and is illustrated above. The male is much smaller, averaging only 5cms wingspan. It has a metallic olive-green sheen across the wings, and on the forewings has a cream subapical band, and a group of black spots within the discal cell.
 
Euphaedra medon is the commonest and most widespread species in the genus, found from Senegal to western Kenya and Tanzania.
 
Habitats
 
As with all Euphaedra species, this butterfly is an inhabitant of dense tropical rainforest, and is found at altitudes between sea level and about 1000m. Some species are confined to primary forest, but many including medon are equally abundant in disturbed or secondary forest.
 
Lifecycle
 
The eggs are laid singly or in clusters of 3 or 4, on the leaves of Allophylus, Deinbollia, Paullinia and Phialodiscus ( Sapindaceae ). They are dome-shaped, and bear a myriad of long spikes.
 
The caterpillars are adorned with long spines, each carrying a number of smaller spines, giving the impression of a comb or feather.
 
Adult behaviour

 

Both sexes fly close to the ground, zig-zagging and weaving through the dense forest undergrowth. They do so with great adeptness, and rarely sustain any wing damage.

 

Females, and to a lesser extent males, are strongly attracted to clusters of fallen fruits

( particularly Ficus ), and patrol back and forth along forest paths in search of them. It is not unusual for groups of up to 30 Euphaedra and Bebearia butterflies of various species to aggregate at such feeding sites.

 

Males are often seen basking with wings outspread on the foliage of bushes in light gaps. Females sometimes fan their wings slowly open and closed when feeding. At most other times both sexes keep their wings firmly closed.

 

 
 
Text and photographs protected by Copyright © Adrian Hoskins 2007-2008, and must not be reproduced or published in part or in whole elsewhere in any form without written permission from Adrian Hoskins. Breach of copyright will be pursued by litigation.
 
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