Fruit-feeding butterfly communities as indicators of forest restoration in an Afro-tropical rainforest.

Highlights: [•] Species richness, abundance and diversity increased and dominance decreased with age of restoration. [•] Similarity to primary forest communities increased with age of restoration. [•] Butterfly communities can recover in 40years, when primary forests are close by. [•] Differently aged forests were characterised by different butterfly specialists. [•] Tropical forest restoration enhances the rapid recovery of butterfly communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]