taxonID	type	description	language	source
03866F0BA2588C0FFCFE49182D6CFD1D.taxon	description	Amauris niavius niavius (Linnaeus, 1758) – NIM, BIM Amauris tartarea tartarea Mabille, 1876 – NIM Amauris damocles damocles (Fabricius, 1793) – NIM SATYRINAE Ypthima doleta Kirby, 1880 – NIM NYMPHALINAE Vanessa cardui (Linnaeus, 1758) – NIM Antanartia delius delius (Drury, 1782) – WOL Precis octavia octavia (Cramer, 1777) – WOL Precis pelarga (Fabricius, 1775) – BIM Precis sinuata sinuata Plötz, 1880 – NIM Hypolimnas misippus (Linnaeus, 1764) – WOL, KPA, NIM Hypolimnas salmacis salmacis (Drury, 1773) – BIM Protogoniomorpha cytora (Doubleday, [1847]) – NIM Protogoniomorpha parhassus (Drury, 1782) – NIM Junonia oenone oenone (Linnaeus, 1758) – KPA, NIM Junonia terea terea (Drury, 1773) – KPA, NIM Catacroptera cloanthe ligata Rothschild & Jordan, 1903 – NIM CYRESTINAE Cyrestis camillus (Fabricius, 1781) – NIM, BIM HELICONIINAE Acraea camaena (Drury, 1773) – KPA, NIM Acraea endoscota Le Doux, 1928 – KPA, NIM Acraea eugenia Karsch, 1893 – BIM Acraea quirina (Fabricius, 1781) – WOL, KPA, NIM, BIM (Fig. 6) Acraea abdera eginopsis Aurivillius, [1899] – PUT Acraea egina egina (Cramer, [1775]) – WOL, KPA, NIM, BIM Acraea pseudegina Westwood, [1852] – BIM Acraea kraka Aurivillius, 1893 – PUT (Fig. 7) Acraea rogersi Hewitson, 1873 – NIM, BIM Acraea consanguinea consanguinea (Aurivillius, 1893) – BIM Acraea epaea epaea (Cramer, [1779]) – NIM, BIM Acraea macaria (Fabricius, 1793) – NIM Acraea vestalis vestalis Felder & Felder, [1865] – NIM (Fig. 8) Telchinia alciope (Hewitson, [1852]) / T. aurivillii aurivillii (Staudinger, 1896) – NIM, PUT, BIM Telchinia bonasia (Fabricius, 1775) – NIM Telchinia circeis (Drury, 1782) – WOL, NIM Telchinia encedana (Pierre, 1976) – KPA Telchinia jodutta jodutta (Fabricius, 1793) – WOL Telchinia lycoa (Godart, [1819]) – NIM, PUT, BIM Telchinia pharsalus (Ward, 1871) – NIM, BIM Telchinia polis (Pierre, 1999) – PUT, BIM Telchinia serena (Fabricius, 1775) – KPA Telchinia vesperalis (Grose-Smith, 1890) – PUT Telchinia oberthueri (Butler, 1895) – BIM Telchinia orestia (Hewitson, 1874) – BIM Telchinia peneleos peneleos (Ward, 1871) – NIM, ATE, BIM Telchinia penelope derubescens (Eltringham, 1912) – LAR Telchinia perenna perenna (Doubleday, [1847]) – NIM, BIM Lachnoptera anticlia (Hübner, [1819]) – KPA, NIM Phalanta eurytis eurytis (Doubleday, [1847]) – NIM LIMENITINAE (LIMENITIDINAE) Cymothoe egesta (Cramer, [1775]) – NIM Cymothoe sangaris sangaris (Godart, [1824]) – NIM Pseudacraea semire (Cramer, [1779]) – NIM Neptis nemetes nemetes Hewitson, [1868] – KPA, NIM Neptis saclava marpessa Hopffer, 1855 – BIM Neptis serena serena Overlaet, 1955 – WOL, NIM Neptis agouale Pierre-Baltus, 1978 – NIM PIERIDAE Catopsilia florella (Fabricius, 1775) – WOL, KPA, NIM Eurema senegalensis (Boisduval, 1836) – NIM Eurema hecabe solifera (Butler, 1875) – KPA, NIM, BIM Nepheronia argia argia (Fabricius, 1775) – KPA, NIM Nepheronia thalassina thalassina (Boisduval, 1836) – KPA, NIM Belenois calypso calypso (Drury, 1773) – KPA, NIM, BIM Appias sylvia sylvia (Fabricius, 1775) – NIM Appias perlucens (Butler, 1898) – BIM Appias sabina sabina (Felder & Felder, [1865]) – NIM Leptosia alcesta alcesta (Stoll, [1782]) – NIM Mylothris chloris chloris (Fabricius, 1775) – NIM, BIM Mylothris dimidiata Aurivillius, 1898 – NIM Mylothris sulphurea sulphurea Aurivillius, 1895 – BIM Mylothris poppea (Cramer, [1777]) – NIM Mylothris rhodope (Fabricius, 1775) – NIM Mylothris schumanni schumanni Suffert, 1904 – BIM LYCAENIDAE APHNAEINAE Aphnaeus orcas (Drury, 1782) – NIM Axiocerses harpax harpax (Fabricius, 1775) – KPA, NIM Cigaritis crustaria (Holland, 1890) – BIM Cigaritis iza (Hewitson, [1865]) – GOL, NIM POLYOMMATINAE Anthene larydas (Cramer, [1780]) – KPA, NIM, BIM Anthene sylvanus (Drury, 1773) – BIM Anthene irumu (Stempffer, 1948) – NIM Anthene princeps (Butler, 1876) – NIM (Fig. 9) Anthene amarah amarah (Guérin-Méneville, 1849) – NIM Neurellipes lusones (Hewitson, 1874) – NIM Neurellips juba (Fabricius, 1787) – NIM Neurellipes lysicles lysicles (Hewitson, 1874) – BIM Triclema rufoplagata rufoplagata Bethune-Baker, 1910 – KPA Triclema lamias lamias (Hewitson, [1878]) – NIM Cupidesthes jacksoni Stempffer, 1969 – BIA Lampides boeticus (Linnaeus, 1767) – KPA Leptotes pirithous pirithous (Linnaeus, 1767) – NIM, BIM Tuxentius carana kontu (Karsch, 1893) – NIM Eicochrysops hippocrates (Fabricius, 1793) – NIM Azanus isis (Drury, 1773) – KPA, NIM THECLINAE (Fig. 10) Hypolycaena philippus philippus (Fabricius, 1793) – NIM Hypolycaea liara liara Druce, 1890 – NIM Hypolycaena lebona - group – NIM, BIM Hypolycaena antifaunus antifaunus (Westwood, [1851]) – NIM Deudorix lorisona lorisona (Hewitson, 1862) – NIM, LAR Deudorix kayonza Stempffer, 1956 – NIM, BIA Deudorix dinomenes diomedes Jackson, 1966 – BIA Pilodeudorix camerona camerona (Plötz, 1880) – BIA Pilodeudorix diyllus diyllus (Hewitson, [1878]) – BIA Pilodeudorix caerulea (Druce, 1890) – LAR Pilodeudorix leonina (Bethune-Baker, 1904) – NIM Pilodeudorix virgata (Druce, 1891) – KPA Pilodeudorix kiellandi (Congdon & Collins, 1998) – NIM Pilodeudorix violetta (Aurivillius, 1897) – NIM, LAR The butterflies observed nectaring on C. odorata represent the five major African families, Papilionidae, Hesperiidae, Nymphalidae, Pieridae and Lycaenidae, excluding only Riodinidae, members of which are generally very scarce in West Africa and tend to stay inside closed canopy forest in good condition (Larsen 2005). Although all species are known to be nectar-feeders, members of Papilionidae represent only 4 % of all recorded species, as the family is rather species-poor in West Africa. Pieridae are also generally nectar-feeders and tend to seek food in open areas and forest edges rather than in the darker forest interior (except for a few species of Leptosia and the unique Pseudopontia) (Larsen 2005), but the family is not particularly species-rich in West Africa with only 11 % of the recorded species belonging to Pieridae. Many of them are common, with good dispersal abilities, and with tolerance for habitat degradation. Lycaenidae make up 22 % of all species recorded, dominated by the subfamilies Polyommatinae and Theclinae and are only exceeded by Hesperiidae, representing 27 % and Nymphalidae 36 % of all species recorded. Moths observed nectaring on C. odorata Only diurnal moths were recorded during the observations, but nocturnal groups are also expected to visit the flowers. Most often two common species of Synthomiini were observed nectaring on C. odorata; a species near Amata alicia (Butler, 1876) / A. francisa (Butler, 1876) (Fig. 11) and Euchromia folletii (Guérin-Méneville, 1832) (= formosa (Boisduval, 1833 )) (Fig. 12). A number of Crambidae also frequently visit C. odorata flowers, including Bocchoris inspersalis (Zeller, 1852) and Phostria hesusalis (Walker, 1859) as observed in the Nimba Mountains. They are normally nocturnal and are attracted to artificial light (Poltavsky et al., 2019), but it seems that the availability of the food-source may also influence their general feeding habits. Day-flying Hyblaeidae also feed on the nectar of C. odorata as observed on a few occasions (Fig. 13). A single clearwing specimen in the tribe Synanthedonini (Sesiidae, Sesiinae) was collected on C. odorata in January 2001 by the author in Bia National Park, Ghana and a single pterophorid was observed on the flowers at Kpatawee Waterfalls, Liberia. Other micromoths were also seen on the flowers during the day, but only occasionally. Other insects and predators observed on C. odorata C. odorata flowers attract an incredible variety of nectar / sugar / pollen-feeding insects, often also a great number of individuals. Of Hymenoptera, Africanized Honey Bee (Apis mellifera scutellata) workers are among the most frequent visitors (Fig. 14), but various groups of solitary bees and other wild bees (Apoidea) are also attracted. However, passing Carpenter Bees (Xylocopinae) seem to largely avoid C. odorata. Several wasp (Vespidae) species were observed feeding on the flowers (Fig. 15). Observations on Diptera were relatively few and were restricted to species of Hoverflies (Syrphidae). Of beetles (Coleoptera), members of Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae, were the most frequent visitors, such as Pachnoda cordata obsoleta Schaum, 1844 and Oxythyrea (Stichothyrea) guttifera (Afzelius, 1817) (Figs 16 – 17). Predators also seem to adapt very quickly to the newly established rich food source. Visiting insects are often caught by crab-spiders (Araneae, Thomisidae) (Fig. 18), and species of African Flower Mantis (Pseudocreobotra spp.) regularly hide among C. odorata flowerheads, waiting for prey (Fig. 19).	en	Sáfián, Szabolcs (2021): The highly invasive Siam Weed, Chromolaena odorata (L.) King and Robinson (Asteraceae), as a seasonal prime nectar source for butterflies (Lepidoptera: Papilionoidea) and other insects (Insecta: Lepidoptera, Hymenoptera, Coleoptera) in West Africa. Metamorphosis 32 (1): 49-57, DOI: 10.4314/met.v32i1.10, URL: https://doi.org/10.4314/met.v32i1.10
