Is butterfly watching in Semuliki national park worth the money?

Is butterfly watching in Semuliki national park worth the money?: Knowing that Semuliki national park hosts 448 butterfly species which is about 40% of those recorded in the whole of Uganda, we can say that butterfly watching in this park is worth the money. Tourists get to enjoy butterfly watching in Semuliki national park when they get a good butterfly guide who knows about the park well.

Semuliki national park is situated in western Uganda south of Lake Albert on the borders of DR Congo with Uganda. The national park was gazetted by Uganda Wildlife Authority as a national park in 1993. The reasons for gazetting the national park was to protect all the wildlife living there and also other attraction like the hot springs, vegetation, and much more.

Among the wildlife we find in Semuliki national park are butterflies. Semuliki national park harbors 448 butterfly species and it’s said that’s about 40% of what has been so far recorded in Uganda. The highest population of butterfly species lives in Semuliki national park meaning that butterfly watching is always worth the money in this park.

Will I see a lot of butterflies during a trip to Semuliki national park?

Armed ranger guides, local guides, and researchers in Semuliki national park know the best areas of the park to see butterflies. These people have been well trained and experienced when it comes to most activities organized in the park. With a well-trained personnel, tourists have many chances to see more than half of the recorded butterfly species within Semuliki national park.

Some days the weather might change especially in the rainy season from March to May and October to November but the people in the park will help you to see most of the butterfly species within the park. During the rainy season, most of the park areas become muddy and slippery making tourists unable to access some of the park areas and in the end, it leads to seeing a few butterfly species.

Tourists who visit Semuliki national park in the dry season are never affected by weather so they access most of the park areas hence increasing the chances of seeing so many butterfly species. June to September and December to February are the best times to visit Semuliki national park for butterfly watching. The vegetation is short with good views of butterflies and photography.

How long is butterfly watching in Semuliki national park?

Butterfly watching in Semuliki national park is done for a whole day if tourists have time. The forest session can be done in the morning and the second session later in the evening. Tourists should know that the more time they have on a safari the more species of butterfly they will watch. Tourists must come well prepared and physically fit for the butterfly watching activity in Semuliki national park.

Which butterflies are found in Semuliki national park?

Biston abruptaria, catuna crithea, mulberry hawkmoth, African leaf butterfly, charaxes fulvescens, painted pearl, belenois solilucis, euphaedra rattrayi, marcipalina umbrosa, bicyclus mollitia, andriasa contraria, bicyclus alboplagus, mylantria xanthospila, gregori’s brown pansy, toothed stately bush brown, euphaedra edwardsii, spiny bollworm, boisduval’s tree nymph, euphaedra hollandi, pikachu moth, bicyclus.

Bethune baker’s bush brown, euphaedra alacris, small black bush brown, little pansy, cucumber moth, tailed bush brown, euphaedra eberti, euriphene saphirina, common pathfinder, mung bean moth, angular glider, amata marina, veined swordtail, peneleos Acraea, soldier commodore, lycoa Acraea, coffee berry moth, simple orange forester, forest glade nymph, sarothroceras banaka, African caper, aletis helcita.

nemetes sailer, zebra pyrale, common glider, rhodope dotted border, common glassy acraea, common blue banded forester, choroclanis virescens, chirinda bush brown, fulvous hawk, charaxes pollux, square winged red charaxes, marcipalina conjuncta, hill bush brown, euphaedra hybrida, cymothoe ochreata, blue diadem butterfly, savanna pathfinder, neuroxena ansorgei, dark yellow forest sylph, variegated pearl.

Becker’s creamy yellow glider, violet banded palla, common mother of pearl, chiasmia fulvisparsa, euphaedra alacris, rhipidarctia crameri, cymothoe cyclades, orange streak acraea, widespread forester, haritalodes polycymalis, cymothoe confusa, common nephele, polyptychus carteri, plain vagrant, common ginger white, variable diadem, blue monarch, cadarena pudoraria, common palm forester,

The most appropriate time to go to Semuliki national park to see butterflies.

Butterfly watching in Semuliki national park happens all year round. The best time to go butterfly watching in Semuliki national park is the dry season from June to September and December to February. During this period, there is little rainfall and plenty of sunshine within the park. The walking trails are dry making it easy for tourists to access most of the park areas, and the vegetation is short with good views and photography.

Tourists can still visit Semuliki national park for butterfly watching in the rainy season from March to May and October to November because the park will always be open. Too much rainfall received during this period makes most of the walking trails muddy and in the end, some parts of the parka are not accessible. There are no clear views and photography for most of the butterflies as the vegetation is thick and tall.