Lepidoptera at A Rocha Kenya
”Last year, I was introduced to Lepidoptera studies when I began volunteering at A Rocha Kenya. (Lepidoptera refers to the order of insects that includes butterflies and moths.) I had just finished my diploma in Wildlife Management and, until then, I didn’t know much about these insects. All I knew was that butterflies were pretty, and moths were annoying when they buzzed around your ear.
My introduction to butterflies came when I accompanied Anna, a staff member at A Rocha, to Dakatcha Nature Reserve. She handed me a butterfly net. At the time, Dakatcha had just received rainfall; it was lush and green, and butterflies danced all around. They fluttered around me, and I chased after them, catching a few and, for the first time, began to notice the differences between them. I went for the large, colourful ones at first; my interest in the smaller blues and coppers would come later as I learned more. I pinned my first collection, it wasn’t perfect, but it marked the beginning of my interest in identifying them.
As for moths, one of my supervisors, Dr. Colin Jackson, showed me a worn-down moth box in front of the office building, something I had somehow failed to notice in my three months at A Rocha. Honestly, I was bewildered when I first saw it and wondered how I had never noticed it. Maybe it would have helped if it had been decorated with flowers! Little did I know that this box would later become my best friend. I often used the phrase “Needs a bit of love” when visitors came to help with identification. At the end of the year, our facilities manager, Henry, did a great job restoring it.
As I look at the data I collected last year, I see how much I’ve grown in my understanding of moths and butterflies. I conducted 19 butterfly surveys in both Dakatcha and at Mwamba in Watamu. From these, I recorded 176 individual butterflies across 60 different species.
Looking at my January 2025 data, I can confidently say that all the work I did on Lepidoptera in 2024 was worthwhile. It served as a pilot study for the work I will be doing going forward and helped shape my understanding. Through it, I’ve developed protocols and structures for the surveys. I’m still working on refining my data collection methods, but I’m motivated to keep improving, and that motivates me even more.”
Cynthia, Terrestrial Science intern.
