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
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      • Papilionidae - Swallowtails
      • Hesperiidae - Skippers
      • Pieridae - Whites & Yellows
      • Riodinidae / Lycaenidae - Metalmarks, Hairstreaks & Blues
      • Nymphalidae - Nymphalids
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      • Picramnia pentrandra
      • Stachytarpheta jamaicensis
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Day 14 - 3 Oct 2017 - Dengue and Zika

3/1/2018

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Our friend Bernd from Germany who we met here last year at the Luna y Mares hotel is staying here again. He and his wife have been coming here for about ten years and he was telling us the other day that when they first came they used to see hundreds of small frogs in the ornamental pool in the hotel near the travel reps desks. We noticed when we first arrived that there were tadpoles in this pool and were looking forward to seeing what they were. This evening when we walked past several young frogs had emerged from the water and I think they are Cuban Tree Frog Osteopilus septentrionalis. Bernd said that the calls they made years ago was wonderful to listen to but that he rarely heard even one these days. We had been out a few evenings ago with a torch after supper because he had heard one but it was in a pile of brush on the other side of a fence so although we were only a few feet away we couldn't actually see it.
Picture
Cuban Tree Froglet Osteopilus septentrionalis 3 Oct 2017 Guardalavaca © Tim Norriss
As a postscript to this when we looked again in the ornamental pool in the hotel the next evening it had been largely drained and there was a strong chemical smell indicating that it had just been treated, and there were no tadpoles - very sad. The reason this is done (all over Cuba) is to reduce the mosquitoes that spread the viruses causing Dengue Fever and Zika Virus (there's no malaria here). There is no vaccine or anti-viral treatment currently available for either.
Dengue fever is widespread throughout the tropics and subtropics, occurring in > 100 countries. Nearly 100 million cases of dengue fever are thought to occur every year. Severe infection mainly affects infants and children living in the tropics and subtropics. Most Dengue Fever infections produce no symptoms or result in mild symptoms where 4-10 days after the mosquito bite there is usually a sudden onset of fever, headache, muscle and joint pains. A rash may develop. Within a few days the illness usually resolves and serious complications are uncommon. 
Zika Virus is mainly spread through mosquito bites though there is a low risk of sexual transmission. The mosquito responsible most commonly bites during daylight hours and is abundant in urban settings. The illness itself is usually mild but there is a link between infection during pregnancy and babies being born with birth defects so pregnant women really do not want to get this virus.
In many cities in Cuba there is regular aerial spraying of insecticide to kill the mosquitoes and so reduce the risk. I’m told that in some places this has been stopped due to protests by local people.
At the Luna y Mares hotel (I don’t know what happens at any others) there is a truck that goes around each evening as dusk approaches belching out insecticide to control the mosquitoes. I’m told that it is harmless to humans and maybe it is, maybe it isn’t. Do I want to take the risk – absolutely not! So when we hear the noisy truck coming we make sure we are either in our room with the window and door closed or make ourselves scarce or upwind. Would I take the risk of coming here without these controls – yes certainly, and we do in other Central American countries when we go there. Would I come here if I was a pregnant woman – I’d follow the travel advice given which is to postpone non-essential travel.
Dogs are smart, they like me were keeping out of the way. I think the nearest one sitting down is the smartest. I fear for the guys in the truck with no masks or respiratory protection doing this day after day.
I’m old enough to remember DDT and the effect that that had, and reading Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring when I was a teenager had a profound effect. That made me highly sceptical of the claims circulating thirty years ago and since that Roundup (glyphosate) was very safe – you could drink it and have no effect some said! It is being investigated by the EU as a possible carcinogen. The increasing use of Roundup weed-killer (and Dicamba on GM crops in the US) is ringing alarm bells and leading to calls for it to be banned completely on both sides of the pond.
Rachel Carson (1940) by By U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
All of us depend on the countless food crops that bees pollinate. Neonicotinoid insecticides (neonics) are designed to kill insects that feed on a plant that has been sprayed/seed-coated with it.  As it happens even the pollen and nectar of treated plants contain neonics. With bee colonies across the world collapsing, the pesticide lobby is still maintaining that bees are not harmed despite all the evidence to the contrary. When I was at school bees were insects and I’m not aware that that has changed since. Without bees and the many other insects that carry out pollination the food production system collapses. Without insects the ecosystem collapses, as they are the underlying component of nearly all life on the planet. The UK government has at last woken up (reversing its previous stance) and will now it says back the call to ban the insect-harming insecticides on fields in Europe. The sooner we all wake up to the fact that tipping more and more pesticides, herbicides, fungicides and molluscicides on the land is unsustainable, the better. And the fact that that these chemicals are having to become more potent all the time in order to be effective due to increasing resistance underlines that point. The EU put a temporary ban (with exceptions) on the use of three key neonicotinoids in 2013. France has already banned the use of neonics on all publicly-owned land and will ban them completely (with exceptions) in September 2018. The EU is doing great work here and is driving much of the change.

But the producers are smart and possibly/maybe/probably/definitely (you choose) in anticipation of neonics being banned tweaked the formula so that they can say ‘ah but this is not technically a neonic’. An environmental organisation has filed a lawsuit in France to ban it.

In October 2017 German researchers announced that the biomass of insects on many nature reserves in Germany has dropped by an average of 76% in the last 27 years. And this was on nature reserves. It is thought to be the effect of the use of insecticides on farmland. It is known that neonics are now widespread in hedgerow plants and shrubs in the wider countryside here in the UK where neonics have not been directly applied. Insects eating leaves, or taking pollen or nectar from such plants will be being affected by these toxins. It is known in the UK that farmland bird populations have declined by 56% since 1970. Things are not improving despite the vast amounts of money paid to farmers to do just that. Between 2010 and 2015 alone the decline was 9%. In some species the decline has been well over 90% during that period while others such as Goldfinch and Stock Dove have increased. It is quite likely I would suggest that the dramatic decline in the UK (50% in just 21 years) of another insectivorous bird, the Common Swift Apus apus, is due in part to this general decline in insects.
Picture
Common Swift Apus apus © Amir Ben Dov
Aquatic insects are just as vulnerable to neonicotinoid insecticides as bees and flying insects, yet have not received the same attention because the UK Government has not responded to calls to introduce systematic monitoring. Recent analysis of new monitoring data reveals that British freshwaters are heavily contaminated with neonicotinoids. Half of the sites monitored in England exceed chronic pollution limits and two rivers are acutely polluted. 

We cannot go on the way we are, there has to be a better way. We have to immediately find ways to substantially reduce the amount of poisonous chemicals put on the land. We have to find new innovative less damaging and sustainable solutions to the problem of producing food for the human population. We have to get away from a system where large corporations control the seed market especially the GM seed market that locks farmers into using their products and more and more of their poisonous chemicals at the same time. It is a win win for the producers and a huge loss for the rest of us. The producers must be held financially responsible for the damage caused by use of their products, and the precautionary principle needs to be applied in all instances before licences are issued for use. GM is all about maintaining market share and locking in farmers to using their products. Traditional plant breeding techniques can produce disease and pest-resistant crops more quickly and more cheaply than GM but the big corporations have halted that by buying up the smaller seed companies that were doing it.

There are people in the world who say that we should just leave things entirely up to market forces. There are even people here in the UK government who are open proponents of doing away with all environmental legislation – what fools, what ignorant fools. Another Silent Spring is happening and you’d better wake up from your years of slumber and neglect of duty and do something about it. Over to you Michael Gove, UK Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. You sure as heck can't do any worse than your dreadful predecessors.
Picture
Michael Gove by Chris McAndrew [CC BY 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
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