Butterflies of
Africa
Western Evening Brown
Gnophodes chelys
FABRICIUS, 1793
Family - NYMPHALIDAE
subfamily -
SATYRINAE
Tribe - MELANITINI
Gnophodes chelys,
Amedzofe, Likpe Hills, Ghana / Togo border
Introduction
The genus
Gnophodes comprises of 3 known species :
G. betsimena and chelys
are both widely distributed across the forested regions of sub-Saharan Africa,
with chelys having a more western distribution,
being found from Sierra Leone to western Kenya.
The third species
grogani is restricted to Uganda, Congo and Rwanda.
The butterflies ( together with
the allied genus Melanitis ) are commonly known as
Evening Browns due to their preference for flying after dark.
Habitats
Gnophodes chelys is a forest butterfly but it can
be found in degraded forest and plantations, and more rarely in parks and
gardens.
Lifecycle
The larval foodplant is the foxtail grass
Setaria.
Adult behaviour
The butterflies are normally encountered singly, typically after
being disturbed from
their resting places in the forest undergrowth. They fly mainly at
dusk and are sometimes attracted into houses by artificial
lighting. They can occasionally be seen
flying in daylight if conditions are overcast.
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