The day was spent walking the roads and trails around the hotel. We had clear but brief views of Many-spotted King Anetia briarea which was our only sighting of the trip, as was a Cuban Crescent Anthanassa frisia and a Hammock Skipper Polygonus leo.
Cuban Crescent Anthanassa frisia 22 Mar 2017 Topes de Collantes © Tim Norriss
We also saw Fiery Skipper Hylephila phyleus and many of the commoner species plus the beautiful Orange-washed Sulphur Phoebis avellaneda. The larvae of this and Orange-barred Sulphur Phoebis philea were fairly common in the area on the Senna spectabilis but often didn't live long due to predation by birds. The larger larvae were easy to distinguish but when not in the final two instars they are not so easy, though in truth this is probably just because I haven't worked out the definitive features yet when they are smaller. I think these two are P. philea from the pattern of the spots though I may be wrong as the blueish tinge along the flanks is more indicative of P. avellaneda. The one on the right has been parasitised - you can see the parasites cocoon next to it.
There was also a Boisduval's Yellow Eurema boisduvaliana larva and on searching a palm Doug found a Monk Skipper Asbolis capucinus pupa in a shelter between two fronds attached together with silk - note the tell-tale feeding damage on the adjacent fronds.
Boisduval's Yellow Eurema boisduvaliana larva 22 Mar 2017 Topes de Collantes © Tim Norriss
A Fiery Skipper Hylephila phyleus was nectaring on the Bidens and Doug found a small larva of the Zebra Heliconian Heliconius charithonia on a Passiflora tendril.
Four Cuban Parrots flew over and settled for a while in a distant tree and as we were walking back up the hill to the hotel a female Northern Flicker flew down and started feeding on ants on the verge in front of us. These birds are fairly common residents in forested areas. This bird lacks the black moustachial stripe that the males have.
Checking the lights around the hotel produced just one noctuid moth on the reception ceiling. I'm pretty sure it is Renodes aequalis but there is another species of Renodes on Cuba called R. eupithecioides and I can't find any pictures of this to check.
Renodes aequalis 22 Mar 2017 Topes de Collantes © Tim Norriss
I read an interesting quote from Prof. Jonathan Losos recently. He is Professor and Curator of Herpetology at the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard University. It reads "I've spent my entire professional career studying anoles and have discovered that the more I learn about anoles, the more I realize I don't know."
Now that makes me feel a whole lot better because I'm still struggling to identify some of the common widespread species of Cuba. Every time I think I've got something clear in my mind something else pops up that throws that into doubt. This is in no small part due to the lack of any good literature on the subject. What is needed is a really good field guide. Perhaps there is one but if so I can't find any reference to it though there has certainly been discussion of one being in production.
I think that this is Cuban Coast Anole Anolis jubar due to the crest along the back and the orange dewlap.
Now that makes me feel a whole lot better because I'm still struggling to identify some of the common widespread species of Cuba. Every time I think I've got something clear in my mind something else pops up that throws that into doubt. This is in no small part due to the lack of any good literature on the subject. What is needed is a really good field guide. Perhaps there is one but if so I can't find any reference to it though there has certainly been discussion of one being in production.
I think that this is Cuban Coast Anole Anolis jubar due to the crest along the back and the orange dewlap.
Anolis jubar Cuban Coast Anole 22 Mar 2017 Topes de Collantes © Tim Norriss
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