BACKGROUND: The biodiversity of West and Central Africa is understudied, including butterflies and moths (Lepidoptera). Cameroon, through its position in between few biogeographic regions and diversity of habitats, is an important hotspot of lepidopteran diversity. However, the country also ranks low when it comes to local biodiversity knowledge. During our long-term ecological projects in the Cameroonian part of the Gulf of Guinea Highlands, we collected rich material of butterflies and moths, including a number of interesting faunistic records. NEW INFORMATION: In this study, we report 31 species of butterflies and moths which have not yet been recorded in Cameroon. These species comprised eight new genera records for the country. In many cases, our records represented an important extension of the species' known distribution, including ten species whose distribution ranges extended into the Guinean biogeographic region. We also comment on the species' elevational distribution ranges on Mount Cameroon where most of our records originated. Additionally, we confirm the presence of a butterfly Telchinia encedena, after more than a century since its first and so far its only record in Cameroon.

Biodiversity Inventory for Conservation NPO Walmersumstraat 44 3380 Glabbeek Belgium

Biology Centre Czech Academy of Science Institute of Entomology Branisovska 31 CZ 37005 Ceske Budejovice Czech Republic Biology Centre Czech Academy of Science Institute of Entomology Branisovska 31 CZ 37005 Ceske Budejovice Czech Republic

Department of Ecology Faculty of Science Charles University Vinicna 7 CZ 12844 Prague Czech Republic Department of Ecology Faculty of Science Charles University Vinicna 7 CZ 12844 Prague Czech Republic

Department of Zoology and Animal Physiology Faculty of Science University of Buea P O Box 63 Buea Cameroon Department of Zoology and Animal Physiology Faculty of Science University of Buea P O Box 63 Buea Cameroon

Faculty of Science University of South Bohemia Branisovska 1760 CZ 37005 Ceske Budejovice Czech Republic Faculty of Science University of South Bohemia Branisovska 1760 CZ 37005 Ceske Budejovice Czech Republic

Institute of Silviculture and Forest Protection Faculty of Forestry University of West Hungary Bajcsy Zsilinszky utca 4 H 9400 Sopron Hungary Institute of Silviculture and Forest Protection Faculty of Forestry University of West Hungary Bajcsy Zsilinszky utca 4 H 9400 Sopron Hungary

Institute of Systematics and Evolution of Animals Polish Academy of Sciences Sławkowska 17 PL 31 016 Krakow Poland Institute of Systematics and Evolution of Animals Polish Academy of Sciences Sławkowska 17 PL 31 016 Krakow Poland

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