Inter‐habitat community variation of butterflies in an Afrotropical region

Abstract

The impact of habitat disturbance on butterfly species assemblage in the Afrotropical region was studied by investigating inter‐habitat community variation of butterflies. Distinct butterfly species assemblages were found across surveyed habitat types, with 1554 adult butterflies of 126 species from five families recorded. The Primary forests had the highest species diversity and a higher dissimilarity between the Secondary and Plantation Forests. Of the 126 species recorded, 80 species were unique to one habitat. We provide new insights into butterfly ecology in the region, which can inform the development of conservation strategies to protect these ecosystems.