Introduction
There are 72 described species in the genus Cymothoe, a group of large and magnificent butterflies commonly known as Gliders. The genus is entirely Afrotropical in distribution.
The males vary in colour, ranging from the pure white of caenis, and the deep ochreous yellow and chocolate brown of fumana, to the fabulous and aptly named Blood Red Glider sangaris.
Cymothoe aubergeri is considered to be endemic to Ghana and eastern Cote d’Ivoire, although a single specimen was collected in 2003 from Guinea.
Habitats
This species is restricted to a few of the wetter rainforests, e.g. at Kakum, where it is encountered fairly frequently.
Lifecycle
This is entirely unknown at present.
Adult behaviour
Males of aubergeri and most other Cymothoe species spend much of their time in the sub canopy. At Kakum for example I have spent entire mornings on the canopy walkway, watching singletons of mabillei, aubergeri and egesta gliding around the upper branches. Fortunately they also descend to ground level occasionally, and with luck aubergeri can be observed closely as it feeds at decaying vegetable matter on the forest floor.
