Butterflies of Cuba
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    • Species List >
      • Papilionidae : Papilioninae >
        • Battus devilliers - De Villiers' Swallowtail
        • Battus polydamas - Polydamas Swallowtail
        • Heraclides andraemon - Bahaman Swallowtail
        • Heraclides androgeus - Androgeus Swallowtail
        • Heraclides caiguanabus - Poey's Swallowtail
        • Heraclides oviedo - Oviedo's Swallowtail
        • Heraclides oxynius - Cuban Black Swallowtail
        • Heraclides pelaus - Pelaus Swallowtail
        • Heraclides ponceana - Dusky Swallowtail
        • Neographium celadon - Cuban Kite Swallowtail
        • Papilio demoleus - Lime Swallowtail
        • Papilio polyxenes - Black Swallowtail
        • Parides gundlachianus - Gundlach's Swallowtail
        • Pterourus palamedes - Palamedes Swallowtail
        • Pterourus troilus - Spicebush Swallowtail
      • Hesperiidae : Eudaminae >
        • Aguna asander - Gold-spotted Aguna
        • Aguna claxon - Emerald Aguna
        • Autochton potrillo - Potrillo Skipper
        • Cecropterus dorantes - Dorantes Longtial
        • Chioides marmorosa - Cuban Longtail
        • Epargyreus zestos - Zestos Skipper
        • Phocides pigmalion - Mangrove Skipper
        • Polygonus leo - Hammock Skipper
        • Proteides maysi - May's Skipper
        • Proteides mercurius - Cuban Mercurial Skipper
        • Telegonus anausis - Caribbean Yellow-tipped Flasher
        • Telegonus cassander - Cuban Flasher
        • Telegonus cellus - Golden-banded Skipper
        • Telegonus habana - Frosty Flasher
        • Telegonus talus - Green Flasher
        • Telegonus xagua - Antillean Flasher
        • Urbanus proteus - Common Long-tailed Skipper
      • Hesperiidae : Hesperiinae >
        • Asbolis capucinus - Monk Skipper
        • Atalopedes mesogramma - Mesogramma Skipper
        • Calpodes ethlius - Canna Skipper
        • Carystoides mexicana - Mexican Ruby-eye
        • Choranthus radians - Radians Skipper
        • Cymaenes tripunctus - Three-spotted Skipper
        • Euphyes cornelius - Cornelius Skipper
        • Euphyes singularis - Singularis Skipper
        • Holguinia holguin - Holguin Skipper
        • Hylephila phyleus - Fiery Skipper
        • Lerodea eufala - Eufala Skipper
        • Nyctelius nyctelius - Violet-banded Skipper
        • Oarisma bruneri - Bruner's Skipperling
        • Oarisma nanus - Nanus Skipperling
        • Panoquina corrupta - Corrupt Skipper
        • Panoquina lucas - Purple-washed Skipper
        • Panoquina ocola - Ocola Skipper
        • Panoquina panoquinoides - Obscure Skipper
        • Parachoranthus magdalia - Magdalia Skipper
        • Perichares philetes - Caribbean Ruby-eye
        • Polites baracoa - Baracoa Skipper
        • Pyrrhocalles antiqua - Caribbean Skipper
        • Rhinthon cubana - Cuban Rhinthon
        • Saliana esperi - Perching Saliana
        • Synapte malitiosa - Caribbean Faceted Skipper
        • Wallengrenia misera - Cuban Broken-dash
      • Hesperiidae : Pyrginae >
        • Anastrus sempiternus - Common Anastrus
        • Burca braco - Braco Skipper
        • Burca concolor - Concolorous Skipper
        • Burca cubensis - Cuban Skipper
        • Burnsius crisia - Antillean Checkered Skipper
        • Burnsius oileus - Tropical Checkered Skipper
        • Chiomara gundlachi - Gundlach's Duskywing
        • Eantis munroei - Munroe's Sicklewing
        • Eantis papinianus - Cuban Sicklewing
        • Ephyriades brunnea - Florida Duskywing
        • Ephyriades zephodes - Zephodes Duskywing
        • Erynnis zarucco - Zarucco Skipper
        • Gesta gesta - Impostor Duskywing
        • Ouleus fridericus - Fridericus Spreadwing
      • Pieridae : Colladinae >
        • Abaeis nicippe - Sleepy Orange
        • Anteos clorinde - White-angled Sulphur
        • Anteos maerula - Yellow-angled Sulphur
        • Colias eurytheme - Orange Sulphur
        • Eurema amelia - Cuban Yellow
        • Eurema boisduvaliana - Boisduval's Yellow
        • Eurema daira - Barred Yellow
        • Eurema elathea - Banded Yellow
        • Eurema lucina - Smudged Yellow
        • Kricogonia cabrerai - Cuban Sulphur
        • Kricogonia lyside - Lyside Sulphur
        • Nathalis iole - Dainty Sulphur
        • Phoebis agarithe - Large Orange Sulphur
        • Phoebis argante - Apricot Sulphur
        • Phoebis avellaneda - Orange-washed Sulphur
        • Phoebis neleis - Neleis Sulphur
        • Phoebis orbis - Orbis Sulphur
        • Phoebis philea - Orange-barred Sulphur
        • Phoebis sennae - Cloudless Sulphur
        • Phoebis statira - Statira Sulphur
        • Pyrisitia chamberlaini - Chamberlain's Yellow
        • Pyrisitia dina - Bush Sulphur
        • Pyrisitia larae - Confusing Yellow
        • Pyrisitia lisa - Little Yellow
        • Pyrisitia messalina - Whitish Yellow
        • Pyrisitia nise - Mimosa Yellow
        • Pyrisitia proterpia - Tailed Orange
        • Pyrisitia venusta - Pale Yellow
        • Zerene cesonia - Southern Dogface
      • Pieridae : Dismorphiinae >
        • Dismorphia cubana - Cuban Mimic-White
      • Pieridae : Pierinae >
        • Ascia monuste - Great Southern White
        • Ganyra menciae - Cuban White
        • Glutophrissa drusilla - Florida White
        • Melete salacia - Black-striped White
        • Pontia protodice - Checkered White
      • Riodinidae >
        • Dianesia carteri - Caribbean Metalmark
      • Lycaenidae : Polyommatinae >
        • Brephidium exilis - Pygmy Blue
        • Cupido comyntas - Eastern Tailed-Blue
        • Cyclargus ammon - Nickerbean Blue
        • Cyclargus thomasi - Miami Blue
        • Hemiargus ceraunus - Ceraunus Blue
        • Leptotes cassius - Cassius Blue
        • Leptotes hedgesi - Hedges' Blue
        • Pseudochrysops bornoi - Antillean Blue
      • Lycaenidae : Theclinae >
        • Allosmaitia coelebs - Cuban Hairstreak
        • Chlorostrymon maesites - Amethyst Hairstreak
        • Chlorostrymon simaethis - Silver-banded Hairstreak
        • Electrostrymon angelia - Fulvous Hairstreak
        • Eumaeus atala - Atala Hairstreak
        • Ministrymon azia - Grey Ministreak
        • Nesiostrymon celida - Caribbean Hairstreak
        • Strymon acis - Bartram's Scrub-Hairstreak
        • Strymon bazochii - Lantana Scrub-Hairstreak
        • Strymon istapa - Mallow Scrub-Hairstreak
        • Strymon limenia - Limenia Scrub-Hairstreak
        • Strymon martialis - Martial Scrub-Hairstreak
        • Strymon toussainti - Toussaint's Scrub-Hairstreak
      • Nymphalidae : Apaturinae >
        • Asterocampa idyja - Dusky Emperor
        • Doxocopa laure - Silver Emperor
      • Nymphalidae : Biblidinae >
        • Dynamine postverta - Mexican Sailor
        • Dynamine serina - Caribbean Sailor
        • Eunica heraclitus - Cuban Purplewing
        • Eunica monima - Dingy Purplewing
        • Eunica tatila - Florida Purplewing
        • Hamadryas amphinome - Red Cracker
        • Hamadryas februa - Gray Cracker
        • Hamadryas feronia - Variable Cracker
        • Lucinia sida - Caribbean Banner
      • Nymphalidae : Charaxinae >
        • Anaea cubana - Cuban Leafwing
        • Archaeoprepona demophoon - Two-spotted Prepona
        • Cymatogramma echemus - Chestnut Leafwing
        • Hypna clytemnestra - Silver-studded Leafwing
        • Siderone galanthis - Red-striped Leafwing
      • Nymphalidae : Cyrestinae >
        • Marpesia chiron - Many-banded Daggerwing
        • Marpesia eleuchea - Caribbean Daggerwing
      • Nymphalidae : Danainae >
        • Anetia briarea - Many-spotted King
        • Anetia cubana - Cuban King
        • Anetia pantherata - Great King
        • Danaus eresimus - Soldier
        • Danaus gilippus - Queen
        • Danaus plexippus - Monarch
        • Greta cubana - Cuban Clearwing
        • Lycorea halia - Tiger Mimic Queen
      • Nymphalidae : Heliconiinae >
        • Agraulis vanillae - Gulf Fritillary
        • Dryas iulia - Flambeau
        • Eueides isabella - Isabella's Heliconian
        • Euptoieta claudia - Variegated Fritillary
        • Euptoieta hegesia - Mexican Fritillary
        • Heliconius charithonia - Zebra Heliconian
      • Nymphalidae : Libytheinae >
        • Libytheana carinenta - American Snout
        • Libytheana motya - Cuban Snout
        • Libytheana terena - Antillean Snout
      • Nymphalidae Limenitinae >
        • Adelpha iphicleola - Iphicleola Sister
        • Limenitis archippus - Viceroy
      • Nymphalidae : Nymphalinae >
        • Anartia chrysopelea - Cuban Peacock
        • Anartia jatrophae - White Peacock
        • Anthanassa frisia - Cuban Crescent
        • Antillea pelops - Antillean Crescent
        • Atlantea perezi - Cuban Checkerspot
        • Colobura dirce - Mosaic
        • Historis acheronta - Tailed Cecropian
        • Historis odius - Stinky Leafwing
        • Hypanartia paullus - Antillean Mapwing
        • Hypolimnas misippus - The Mimic
        • Junonia coenia - Common Buckeye
        • Junonia neildi - Mangrove Buckeye
        • Junonia zonalis - Tropical Buckeye
        • Phyciodes phaon - Phaon Crescent
        • Polygonia interrogationis - Question Mark
        • Siproeta stelenes - Malachite
        • Vanessa atalanta - Red Admiral
        • Vanessa cardui - Painted Lady
        • Vanessa virginiensis - American Lady
      • Nymphalidae : Satyrinae >
        • Calisto aquilum - Cuban Dark Calisto
        • Calisto bradleyi - Bradley's Calisto
        • Calisto brochei - Broche's Calisto
        • Calisto bruneri - Bruner's Calisto
        • Calisto disjunctus - Western Cuban Calisto
        • Calisto dissimulatum - Mimic Calisto
        • Calisto gundlachi - Gandlach's Calisto
        • Calisto herophile - Cuban Common Calisto
        • Calisto israeli - Israel's Calisto
        • Calisto lastrai - Lastra's Calisto
        • Calisto muripetens - Guamuahaya Calisto
        • Calisto occulta - Hidden Calisto
        • Calisto sharkeyae - Sharkey's Calisto
        • Calisto siguanensis - Sand Calisto
        • Calisto smintheus - Cuban Rusty Calisto
        • Calisto torrei - Torre's Calisto
    • Download Species List
    • Thumbnails >
      • Papilionidae - Swallowtails
      • Hesperiidae - Skippers
      • Pieridae - Whites & Yellows
      • Riodinidae / Lycaenidae - Metalmarks, Hairstreaks & Blues
      • Nymphalidae - Nymphalids
    • Hostplants >
      • Picramnia pentrandra
      • Stachytarpheta jamaicensis
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Day 11 - Sun 17 Jun 18 - Transfer to Santa Clara

6/10/2018

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Lynn had a last swim in the pool this morning while Doug and I walked up the hill to the moth trap. After the disappointment of the few moths a couple of nights ago last night was very different - over 50 species, quite a few that we hadn't seen before and many in good condition so we spent a while going through them and photographing them as best we could. It was a struggle to get them all done and get down to breakfast in time before it was all gone. The Panasonic Lumix does ok using flash with the larger moths but its pretty rubbish for the micros and we didn't have time to wait for the light to improve.
Picture
Phoenicoprocta capistrata male 17 Jun 2018 Topes de Collantes © Tim Norriss
Phoenicoprocta capistrata female 17 Jun 2018 Topes de Collantes © Tim Norriss
Epiplema incolorata 17 Jun 2018 Topes de Collantes © Tim Norriss
Euphyia perturbaria 17 Jun 2018 Topes de Collantes © Tim Norriss
Gonodes liquida 17 Jun 2018 Topes de Collantes © Tim Norriss
Nedusia fimbriata 17 Jun 2018 Topes de Collantes © Tim Norriss
Patalene olyzonaria 17 Jun 2018 Topes de Collantes © Tim Norriss
Phrygionis auriferaria 17 Jun 2018 Topes de Collantes © Tim Norriss
Psamatodes abydata 17 Jun 2018 Topes de Collantes © Tim Norriss
Syllectra congemmalis 17 Jun 2018 Topes de Collantes © Tim Norriss
Eucereon guacolda 17 Jun 2018 Topes de Collantes © Tim Norriss
17 Jun 2018 Topes de Collantes © Tim Norriss
After saying goodbye to the lovely staff at Los Helechos we set off for Santa Clara about 11am and made a short stop by the road near Trinidad because we saw some butterflies. Amongst them was a Confusing Yellow Pyrisitia larae which was an excellent find. Confusing it certainly is but the wavy inner edge to the black tip of the forewing is distinctive. And we also saw the much commoner Boisduval's Yellow Eurema boisduvaliana with its distinctive 'cut-off' wing shape, and a female Antillean Flasher Astraptes xagua looking for somewhere to lay.
Confusing Yellow Pyrisitia larae 17 Jun 2018 near Trinidad © Tim Norriss
Boisduval's Yellow Eurema boisduvaliana 17 Jun 2018 near Trinidad © Tim Norriss
We had booked to stay at the Hotel Los Caneyes which is in the countryside just west of the city and from looking on Google maps it looked to have good adjacent habitat. I had also seen on the reviews that it had Antillean Palm Swift nesting in the thatch of the hotel entrance. That and the fact that it had what looked like a nice pool made it seem a good choice.
Picture
The swifts put on a fantastic display as we arrived. I soon discovered its not easy photographing swifts in flight! And this was the best I managed. The birds were nesting all along the lower edge of the thatch and there must have been dozens of nests all with either recently fledged, or about to fledge, young. They were even nesting in the lower thatch on the right so standing in front trying to take pictures meant the birds would fly past and touch my head as they went in.
Antillean Palm Swift 17 Jun 2018 Los Caneyes, Santa Clara © Tim Norriss
Antillean Palm Swift 17 Jun 2018 Los Caneyes, Santa Clara © Tim Norriss
At check in they told us we were only booked in half board despite the fact that we had paid full board and that was shown on our voucher that we handed in. This is what happens at most hotels and is frankly pretty tedious. On this occasion they were quite helpful and after a couple of quick emails with our booking agent in Habana they agreed that it was full board. It seems likely the information is entered on their system remotely but whoever does this they clearly think that some people will pay the extra. At Hotel Hanabanilla the girl on the desk even refused to phone the agent in Habana to confirm what was on the voucher saying that it was my problem and that I would have to phone! And they had run out of internet cards so I wasn't even able to email them. I waited till another girl took over on the desk and she kindly agreed to let me use their computer to email the agent so it was then quickly sorted. The only hotel where this doesn't seem to happen is Los Helechos. I have a feeling that because we stay longer than any other people going there and we pay for guided trips every day they value our custom a little more. Apart from the all-inclusive hotels where outside companies have a large say in how the hotel is run, all other hotels in Cuba are state-run so the service you get is very different. Sometimes it is fine and at other times it can be dire. Los Caneyes is in a beautiful setting with lovely rooms, excellent food, terrible coffee and a nice pool that on this occasion was empty due to repairs! Oh well that's Cuba! The alternative is to stay in casas particulares where in our experience they can never do enough for you and the meals are far too much for us to eat.
We dumped our bags in our rooms and headed out to explore the gardens and spotted a Red-striped Leafwing Siderone galanthis flying around amongst the trees.  As we watched and to our surprise it seemed to settle on the ground, and when we slowly approached we could see it feeding on a fallen mango which the free range chickens had mostly eaten. We edged closer and closer and I ended up taking this from three inches away with a compact camera. I hadn't expected that from a species normally so wary. Doug also found a larva of Common Long-tailed Skipper Urbanus proteus.
Picture
Red-striped Leafwing Siderone galanthis 17 Jun 2018 Los Caneyes, Santa Clara © Tim Norriss
Common Long-tailed Skipper Urbanus proteus larva 17 Jun 2018 Los Caneyes, Santa Clara © Tim Norriss
Common Long-tailed Skipper Urbanus proteus larval shelters 17 Jun 2018 Los Caneyes, Santa Clara © Tim Norriss
We had chosen rooms the furthest away from the pool area in case there was any late night music and to improve our chances of being able to run the moth trap. Any moths will have to run the gauntlet of the chickens and these two Helmeted Guineafowl that roamed the gardens. At dusk I had a brief view of what could only be a Cuban Nightjar, a pretty unsatisfactory sighting of a new bird for me. And of course there were also the obligatory Greater Antillean Nighthawks overhead. I can't believe that we haven't seen these before on our summer visits to Cuba.
Helmeted Guineafowl 17 Jun 2018 Los Caneyes, Santa Clara © Tim Norriss
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