Liberia: The Largest Butterfly In Africa Is Found In Liberia.---Rev. Blamo. They are so focus on political and other matters to the point they have forgotten the natural beauty of the land. Little is known about Africa’s largest butterfly, the giant African swallowtail. But scientists do know that Papilio antimachus is in decline due to habitat destruction and it is also poached by insect collectors, who seek it for its beautiful, orange and black wings. One specimen recently sold for $1,000 on eBay, says Szabolcs Sáfián, who studies butterflies at the University of West Hungary. The north-central region of Liberia, where the swallowtail is found, hosts a high level of biodiversity, and much of the area is in a protected park known as the Mount Nimba Strict Nature Reserve. ArcelorMittal, a Luxembourg-based multinational steel corporation, operates a nearby mine, has paid for several ecological studies of the area’s species and is supporting Sáfián’s swallowtail-tracking work, he says. The Ebola outbreak in Liberia and neighboring countries has forced Sáfián to twice postpone the anticipated beginning of his project, but he still plans to initiate it in February.
Posted on: Wed, 17 Dec 2014 15:46:11 +0000
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