Butterflies of Cuba
  • Home
  • Species
    • 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
    • Other Wildlife >
      • Mammals
      • Reptiles
      • Amphibians
      • Birds
      • Odonata
      • Moths >
        • Tineoidea
        • Gelechioidea
        • Alucitoidea
        • Pterophoroidea
        • Schreckensteinioidea
        • Urodoidea
        • Choreutoidea
        • Tortricoidea
        • Sesioidea
        • Zygaenoidea
        • Pyraloidea
        • Lasiocampoidea
        • Bombicoidea
        • Geometroidea
        • Hedyloidea
        • Noctuoidea
  • Blog
  • Contribute
  • Search
  • Contact
  • About
  • Links

Day 12 - 26 June - Gran Piedra - Sigua - Siboney

27/11/2016

2 Comments

 
Just a quick reminder that if you are viewing this website on a mobile or tablet you need to touch the photograph to see the species name and details whereas if you are on a computer then just holding the cursor over the photo displays the details.
Picture
Western Spindalis male 26 Jun 2016 Gran Piedra © Tim Norriss
Following on from the pictures of a female Western Spindalis yesterday I managed to get some nice pictures of a male this morning in the same place, from the road in front of the Villa Gran Piedra overlooking the forest below. It is also known as Stripe-headed Tanager and is a reasonably common and widespread permanent resident and endemic to the Greater Antilles but the chance to get an uncluttered shot like this without sitting in a hide doesn't come along very often.
Whilst the butterfly pictures that I get are not the greatest as I use a 70-200mm Canon f2.8 it does give me the versatility to take butterflies at a reasonably close range whilst also being able to stand off and get shots from a distance, often a considerable distance, both of butterflies in flight and of birds and other wildlife. If I used just a 100mm macro lens I'd get better butterfly pictures especially of the smaller species but I would get much fewer of them and I'd miss lots of other opportunities. And up to now I've avoided the temptation of carrying another lens with me. I do carry a small Panasonic TZ40 compact in my pocket at all times which I use for scenery and all the close-ups and that works quite well except when as on this trip I had the camera on the wrong settings and couldn't figure out how to change them! And not being able to get on the internet and check the manual online didn't help. Ah well, you live and learn though it does mean that a lot of the close-ups that I took on this trip are rubbish and not worth showing. Lynn uses a TZ70 for scenery shots etc but it lacks certain important features that the TZ40 has.
We had left the outside lights on last night in the hope of attracting some moths. I checked at first light and as as the wind had got up and was blowing strongly onto the wall there was very little to see. A little later when we checked to see if Doug was ready to go down for breakfast he was still photographing the moths that he had attracted to his lights. His room was slightly lower than ours and both walls had been very sheltered from the wind and were absolutely covered with moths - there must have been 100 species or more including 6 species of Hawk-moth.
Picture
I have managed to identify some of them but I must say that the quality of moth websites, and of photographs, west of the 'pond' is not as good as it is here in Europe.
Xylophanes chiron 26 Jun 2016 Gran Piedra © Douglas Fernández
Xylophanes tersa 26 Jun 2016 Gran Piedra © Douglas Fernández
Xylophanes irrorata 26 Jun 2016 Gran Piedra © Douglas Fernández
Agrius cingulata 26 Jun 2016 Gran Piedra © Douglas Fernández
Glyphodes sybillalis 26 Jun 2016 Gran Piedra © Douglas Fernández
Diaphania costata 26 Jun 2016 Gran Piedra © Douglas Fernández
Lypotigris reginalis 26 Jun 2016 Gran Piedra © Douglas Fernández
Maruca vitrata 26 Jun 2016 Gran Piedra © Douglas Fernández
Palpita flegia 26 Jun 2016 Gran Piedra © Douglas Fernández
26 Jun 2016 Gran Piedra © Douglas Fernández
26 Jun 2016 Gran Piedra © Douglas Fernández
26 Jun 2016 Gran Piedra © Douglas Fernández
26 Jun 2016 Gran Piedra © Douglas Fernández
26 Jun 2016 Gran Piedra © Douglas Fernández
Agathodes designalis 26 Jun 2016 Gran Piedra © Douglas Fernández
Diaphania lualis 26 Jun 2016 Gran Piedra © Douglas Fernández
26 Jun 2016 Gran Piedra © Douglas Fernández
Diaphania nitidalis 26 Jun 2016 Gran Piedra © Douglas Fernández
Sparagmia gonoptera shomatoffi 26 Jun 2016 Gran Piedra © Douglas Fernández
Syngamia florella 26 Jun 2016 Gran Piedra © Douglas Fernández
OK you get the gist of it, it was amazing! This is just a few species from one family on one night at one place. There were lots of other simply beautiful things. So, to anyone interested in moths that goes there make sure you leave the outside lights on - and get up early in the morning. And if you haven't started studying moths yet then you need to - join the dark side.
Gonodonta sicheas 26 Jun 2016 Gran Piedra © Douglas Fernández
Gonodonta bidens 26 Jun 2016 Gran Piedra © Douglas Fernández
Hydastocia ategua 26 Jun 2016 Gran Piedra © Douglas Fernández
Nepheloleuca complicata 26 Jun 2016 Gran Piedra © Douglas Fernández
Pero cubana 26 Jun 2016 Gran Piedra © Douglas Fernández
Phrygionis argentata 26 Jun 2016 Gran Piedra © Douglas Fernández
Sorry - I couldn't resist just adding a few more. My thanks to Doug for letting me use his pictures and my apologies if I have got some of the identifications wrong which is quite likely.
As we were checking out there a pair of Cuban Green Anoles Anolis porcatus on the balcony wall. Although we have seen them in lots of places it was the first time that we had seen a male displaying by extending its dewlap. The poor chap had lots his tail at some point in the past but at least he got away with his life.
Anolis porcatus male 26 Jun 2016 Gran Piedra © Tim Norriss
Anolis porcatus female 26 Jun 2016 Gran Piedra © Tim Norriss
It was a clear sunny morning so after breakfast we set off down the hill towards Santiago de Cuba and the coast. We soon made a stop where there was Tournefortia flowering. There were several Swallowtails but best of all were two female Black-striped White Melete salacia. Unfortunately they were very high up so no chance of any decent shots but one that I got in flight I thought was interesting as it shows the upper hindwing as yellow whereas all the pictures of specimens that I have seen show this white or off-white.
Black-striped White Melete salacia 26 Jun 2016 Gran Piedra © Tim Norriss
Phoebis sennae Cloudless Sulphur fem 26 Jun 2016 Gran Piedra © Tim Norriss
Monk Skipper Asbolis capucinus 26 Jun 2016 Gran Piedra © Tim Norriss
We stopped again for fruit at a roadside stall and there were two young owls in a tree by the road - Cuban Screech-owl which we have only seen once before at Zapata. We also saw a new reptile in the form of Pallid Curlytail Leiocephalus raviceps.
Cuban Screech-owl 26 Jun 2016 Gran Piedra © Tim Norriss
Leiocephalus raviceps Pallid Curlytail 26 Jun 2016 Gran Piedra © Tim Norriss
This was the only night for which we had no accommodation pre-booked and as this was Leandro's home turf we left it to him to find us a casa to stay in Siboney. He found us a nice place overlooking the beach so we unloaded our cases and headed east down the coast road to Sigua. Lots of nice finds here including another new reptile Green-blotched Giant Anole Anolis smallwoodi. I think I have the id correct though no doubt someone will put me right if I'm wrong. It seemed to be a youngster and was quite low down when I first saw it but as soon as I started taking pictures it shot off back up the tree out of view. Doug was already finding lots of good larvae including a final instar Antillean Flasher Astraptes xagua about to pupate on Senna sp, Boisduval's Yellow Eurema boisduvaliana on the same plant and Tropical Checkered Skipper Pyrgus oileus. as well as Polydamas Swallowtail Battus polydamas eggs and larvae. 59 species was the excellent butterfly total for the day including eight Swallowtails.
Green-blotched Giant Anole Anolis smallwoodi 26 Jun 2016 Sigua © Tim Norriss
Green-blotched Giant Anole Anolis smallwoodi 26 Jun 2016 Sigua © Tim Norriss
Green-blotched Giant Anole Anolis smallwoodi 26 Jun 2016 Sigua © Tim Norriss
Mantis sp 26 Jun 2016 Sigua © Tim Norriss
Antillean Flasher Astraptes xagua final instar larva 26 Jun 2016 Sigua © Tim Norriss
Antillean Flasher Astraptes xagua final instar larval shelter 26 Jun 2016 Sigua © Tim Norriss
Tropical Checkered Skipper Burnsius oileus larva 26 Jun 2016 Sigua © Tim Norriss
Tropical Checkered Skipper Burnsius oileus larval shelter 26 Jun 2016 Sigua © Tim Norriss
Battus polydamas eggs 26 Jun 2016 Sigua © Tim Norriss
Battus polydamas larva 26 Jun 2016 Sigua © Tim Norriss
Boisduval's Yellow Eurema boisduvaliana larva 26 Jun 2016 Sigua © Tim Norriss
Siboney beach 26 Jun 2016 © Tim Norriss
2 Comments
Jean brodeur link
13/11/2018 08:17:17 pm

Bonjour, pourriez -vous me donnez l'adresse de la maison(mur orange) ou sont les papillons sur le mur .Demeuriez-vous a cet endroit. Je suis interressé a des photos comme ca, des endroits comme cela

Merci !

Reply
Tim Norriss
15/11/2018 10:54:55 am

Nous avons séjourné au Motel la Gran Piedra qui se trouve juste en dessous du sommet de la montagne. Au-dessus du bâtiment de la réception / du restaurant se trouvent des bâtiments de cabine séparés pour dormir.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Welcome to our Blog

    Here we will post interesting news about what we and others have seen in Cuba.

    Archives

    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    August 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    December 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly