Biology:Elymniopsis

Elymniopsis is a monotypic butterfly genus in the family Nymphalidae. It contains only one species, Elymniopsis bammakoo, the African palmfly.

This Afrotropical butterfly is primarily associated with forest habitats, with its larvae feeding exclusively on palms such as the plant Elaeis guineensis (African Oil Palm), which aligns with its common name. Adults show sexual dimorphism, with males having a wingspan of around 69 mm and females reaching up to 84 mm, and they exhibit polymorphism, including a white form that mimics the female of Papilio cynorta for protective purposes.

Range and habitat

It is found in Senegal, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, the Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic, Angola, the DRC, Uganda and Tanzania. The habitat consists of forests.

Description

Adults resemble Acraea poggei in flight. The white form of bammakoo mimics the female of Papilio cynorta.

Food

Adults are attracted to fermented bananas and have also been recorded imbibing sap from wounds in trees. The larvae feed on Elaeis guineensis, Phoenix reclinata and Raphia hookeri.

Subspecies

• Elymniopsis bammakoo bammakoo

Range: Senegal, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, Congo, Central African Republic, Angola, DRC

• Elymniopsis bammakoo rattrayi (Sharpe, 1902)

Range: eastern DRC, western Uganda, north-western Tanzania

Elymniopsis bammakoo bammakoo & Elymniopsis bammakoo rattrayi (far right)

References

Wikidata ☰ Q5368475 entry