Zoologia Caboverdiana Vol. 5, No. 2 (2015)
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The authors carried out a survey of butterflies on 12 of the Cape Verde Islands from 29 October to 18 December 2013. During the survey records were also made of the few hawk-moths (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae) encountered during the day, or feeding at flowers at dusk and dawn. None was collected at light. Since several of our records are believed to be new island records, we present them here. The few voucher specimens collected have been deposited in the Natural History Museum, London.
A survey of butterfly species was carried out on 12 islands of the Cape Verde archipelago (Brava, Cima, Fogo, Santiago, Maio, Boa Vista, Sal, São Nicolau, Raso, Santa Luzia, São Vicente, Santo Antão) during almost eight weeks in 2013. Results include the discovery of six species not previously recorded from the islands: Vanessa atalanta, V. vulcania, Junonia oenone, Danaus plexippus, Eurema brigitta and Azanus ubaldus. Known island distribution of some resident species is extended. Status of some long-standing (and questionable) historical records and probable misidentifications are discussed in detail. Data are presented with regard to habitat, habits and host-plants of all taxa, together with a table of species, islands, status and probable original geographical source. Entomological data from Cambridge University ornithological research on Raso between 2006 and 2014 are also included. Comment is made with regard to whether butterfly studies support inclusion of the Cape Verde Islands in ‘Macaronesia’ sensu lato.
During August-September 2014 and 2015, yachtbased surveys were conducted in the Cape Verde archipelago with the main objective of trying to locate humpback whales Megaptera novaeangliae during the late boreal summer (Berrow et al. 2014). Spring breeding humpbacks in Cape Verde waters are known to have their feeding grounds in the high Arctic (e.g. Wenzel et al. 2009). While these animals have generally left the breeding grounds by mid-May, a number of sightings during the summer months (June- August) have raised the possibility that animals from southern stocks may occasionally reach as far north as Cape Verde (Hazevoet et al. 2011).