We were told today that there had been an explosion at one of the large fuel storage tanks in Matanzas, 60 km outside Habana, following a lightning strike on the storage facility. Today is Sunday and the fires started on Friday evening. The facility comprises I think eight tanks in close proximity and yesterday the fire engulfed a second tank. Many people lost their lives including many firefighters who were on hand to stop the spread. On the following day, Monday, a third tank was also engulfed in flames spreading very toxic smoke into the atmosphere meaning that many people had to be evacuated from their homes. The fuel supply system is already critical leading to a permit system to buy fuel and long waits at petrol stations so this is a huge disaster for the country. In a place that has many storms every year it shows the importance of maintaining the lightning conductors on such critical infrastructure!
But on to happier more wildlife-centred things. We spent the day on foot walking SW into the National Park.
But on to happier more wildlife-centred things. We spent the day on foot walking SW into the National Park.
But even before we got there there were great butterflies just outside the hotel perimeter fence. We had never seen Emerald Aguna Aguna claxon before but here there were several nectaring on a flowering shrub just outside the fence. But getting pictures was tricky using my Sony RX10 bridge camera because of the slow focus, quite frustrating. The larval foodplant is Bauhinia and there was a plant close by that we searched for eggs or larva without success.
Doug found some Neleis Sulphur Phoebis neleis eggs on a Lysiloma bush and we also saw a Cuban Hairstreak Allosmaitia coelebs which is rare but widespread in Cuba and this is the first time it has been recorded west of Soroa which is about 135km to the north-east. A Tailed Cecropian Historis acheronta flew past but luckily settled again, and there was a Tropical Buckeye larva feeding on a small Stachytarpheta jamaicensis.
A beautiful but not uncommon moth called Urainia boisduvalii came and landed nearby and we also found some moth larvae - as yet unidentified.
Urainia boisduvalii 7 Aug 2022 Guanahacabibes © Tim Norriss
And finally, we saw a beautiful damselfy and dragonfly. The first is a male Blue-striped Spreadwing Lestes tenuatus, another first for us. And the other I think is a heteromorph female Band-winged Dragonlet Erithrodiplax umbrata which lacks the band marks on the wings.
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