Satyr butterfly
I apologize for including a photograph of something dead, but hear me out. This is a satyr butterfly (or Euptychoides fida if you’re feeling fancy), and scientists thought it was gone from the region. This species hasn’t been seen in 98 years. This butterfly is only known to live in and around the Zongo Valley. Researchers used rotten fruit and dung (yum?) to capture a specimen in a cylindrical mesh trap.
This isn’t the most dazzling-looking of the creatures that the researchers found, but I still find it really beautiful. The patterns on its wings remind me of an antique piece of pottery or an embroidered wool shawl. 10/10 butterfly, would hope to see again, ideally in the wild.
