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
    • Other Wildlife >
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Day 9 - 28 Sept 2017 - La Belen, Najasa

13/12/2017

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The second permit that we obtained yesterday morning was to visit La Belen near Najasa, SE of Camagüey. We had heard that the place had been closed for much-needed refurbishment so it was a pleasant surprise to find it open again. Although Doug had been here before we had not so didn't really know what to expect. It is a bit of a way off the beaten track but well worth it and it was a shame that we hadn't been able to find out whether it was open while we were in the UK or we would have certainly stayed here for a couple of nights rather than in Camagüey. But at least we now have contact details for Ecotur staff to be able to make bookings in the future.
Before we set off I took a picture of a Gecko high up on the wall at the casa. I thought at the time it was a Tropical Gecko Hemidactylus mabouia but looking at the pictures I'm not so sure. The tail is rather thick and there are faint lines down the body and tail that I don't seem to match any pictures I can find on the internet. I've said before that it amazes me the lack of a decent Field Guide on the reptiles of the Caribbean. I believe there is one in prep called the Guide to the Amphibians and Reptiles of the Caribbean Islands but I don't know its anticipated publication date.
There is also an excellent guide Guía taxonómica de los anfibios de Cuba (2008) which is free to download from the ABC Tax website. You can download audio calls of 59 species too and this is a fantastic resource by Luis M. Díaz and Roberto Cádiz from the Museo Nacional de Historia Natural de Cuba and the Facultad de Biología, Universidad de La Habana respectively. A further volume on the reptiles of Cuba is preparation. Can't wait....
Picture
Hemidactylus sp 28 Sept 2017 Camagüey © Tim Norriss
It took about an hour and a quarter to get to La Belen. It seems to be a comparatively affluent area and there is a gated entrance at which we showed our permit and continued on listening to the strangely melodic calls of Cuban Crow through the open windows. The first thing we saw at the centre was a zebra - not the butterfly but a mammal.
There were several people swimming in the attractive pool and I checked out one of the rooms briefly which was sizeable and had all the basics. We spent a few minutes photographing the moths on the reception windows before setting off for a walk with our guide Jorge across the horse paddock where there were lots of butterflies feeding on the flowers. The middle one is interesting, and my thanks to Iain Outlaw for identifying it as one of the Tussock moths (Erebidae) in the genus Halysidota. The only species in this genus on the Cuban list is H. cinctipes Florida Tussock Moth and it is a very close match to this. Worldwide 39 species of Halysidota have so far been described. At the time I didn't note which sex it was and perhaps I should start doing that as there can be significant sexual dimorphism in some Erebidae.
Ammolo helops 28 Sept 2017 La Belen, Najasa © Tim Norriss
Azochis rufidiscalis 28 Sept 2017 La Belen, Najasa © Tim Norriss
Halysidota cinctipes 28 Sept 2017 La Belen, Najasa © Tim Norriss
UNID Plusia sp 28 Sept 2017 La Belen, Najasa © Tim Norriss
Hypercompe albicornis 28 Sept 2017 La Belen, Najasa © Tim Norriss
There were quite a few butterflies nectaring on the flowers and we saw Orange-washed Sulphur Phoebis avellaneda and a single Cuban Peacock Anartia chrysopelea. I spotted an anole on a post which I thought at the time that was a Central Pallid Anole Anolis centralis but Luis Manuel has subsequently suggested that it might be Anolis terueli Yellow-fanned Pallid Anole. This species was only described in 2001 by Navarro, Fernández and Garrido and I have now read that paper and am sure that he is correct so thank you Luis. The features distinguishing it from A. centralis are its more compact body. shorter snout, yellow dewlap (not red), swollen tail base and conspicuous supra-scapular black spot. It is endemic to Cuba and is only found in a small narrow band through central Camagüey and Las Tunas provinces. I can find no other pictures on the internet so it was a really good find and I'm grateful to the Cuban Brown Anole that appeared and made the A. terueli adopt the threat posture and extend its dewlap. The Navarro paper has much useful information and after reading it I have also corrected the identification of another anole that we saw in 2016 which was actually Anolis litoralis Oriente Pallid Anole.
Picture
Anolis terueli Yellow-fanned Pallid Anole 28 Sept 2017 La Belen, Najasa © Tim Norriss
Anolis terueli Yellow-fanned Pallid Anole 28 Sept 2017 La Belen, Najasa © Tim Norriss
Anolis terueli Yellow-fanned Pallid Anole 28 Sept 2017 La Belen, Najasa © Tim Norriss
Anolis sagrei Cuban Brown Anole 28 Sept 2017 La Belen, Najasa © Tim Norriss
But back to the butterflies.. We had good views of a Malachite Siproeta stelenes and Lynn spotted a Dingy Purplewing Eunica monima.
Dingy Purplewing Eunica monima 28 Sept 2017 La Belen, Najasa © Tim Norriss
Dingy Purplewing Eunica monima 28 Sept 2017 La Belen, Najasa © Tim Norriss
Several of the endemic Palm Crow were flying around and we also saw 15 Cuban Parakeet and both Cuban and Blue-gray Gnat-catcher. We walked along the main track and found several butterflies taking moisture on the ground, best of all was a Cuban Mercurial Skipper Proteides mercurius but there was also White-angled Sulphur Anteos clorinde and Boisduval's Yellow Eurema boisduvaliana.
Picture
Cuban Mercurial Skipper Proteides mercurius 28 Sept 2017 La Belen, Najasa © Tim Norriss
Boisduval's Yellow Eurema boisduvaliana 28 Sept 2017 La Belen, Najasa © Tim Norriss
White-angled Sulphur Anteos clorinde 28 Sept 2017 La Belen, Najasa © Tim Norriss
A search in woodland next to the track produced Monk Skipper Asbolis capucinus and several larvae and a pupa of Caribbean Faceted Skipper Synapte malitiosa. Jorge was fascinated by anything to do with natural history and like many guides knew a small number of the butterflies but due to the shortage of literature on the subject his knowledge was limited. It was great to see him soaking up the knowledge from Doug and he was soon finding S. malitiosa larvae on his own.
Caribbean Faceted Skipper Synapte malitiosa larva 28 Sept 2017 La Belen, Najasa © Tim Norriss
Caribbean Faceted Skipper Synapte malitiosa pupa 28 Sept 2017 La Belen, Najasa © Tim Norriss
We headed back towards the car to have a short break and eat our picnic lunch and found our twelfth skipper of the day, a May's Skipper Proteides maysi on the track.
Picture
May's Skipper Proteides maysi 28 Sept 2017 La Belen, Najasa © Tim Norriss
The camera was kept busy today as there was so much to see. Slender Cliff Anoles Anolis lucius can be found on tree trunks as well as on cliffs and are often quite approachable.
Picture
Slender Cliff Anole Anolis lucius 28 Sept 2017 La Belen, Najasa © Tim Norriss
Hemeroplanis scopulepes 28 Sept 2017 La Belen, Najasa © Tim Norriss
UNID Perasia sp 28 Sept 2017 La Belen, Najasa © Tim Norriss
Jorge then took us to where he sometimes sees Giant Kingbird but there was no sign today. But on the way we noticed several Cuban Peacock Anartia chrysopelea. We stopped to watch them and saw that there were females slowly fluttering about near the ground looking for somewhere to lay eggs. Doug had only ever seen a larva once many years before and had never seen eggs or bred them through so this was an opportunity not to be missed. Over the next half hour we watched five eggs being laid, amazingly all on different plant species.
Cuban Peacock Anartia chrysopelea male 28 Sept 2017 La Belen, Najasa © Tim Norriss
Cuban Peacock Anartia chrysopelea in cop 28 Sept 2017 La Belen, Najasa © Tim Norriss
Cuban Peacock Anartia chrysopelea male fem 28 Sept 2017 La Belen, Najasa © Tim Norriss
Cuban Peacock Anartia chrysopelea egg 28 Sept 2017 La Belen, Najasa © Tim Norriss
Doug later recalls that:
"In 1994 I went to Havana to meet Luis R. Hernández, who later wrote the Field Guide of Cuban - West Indian Butterflies, to confirm the identity of my specimens of Gray Ministreak Ministrymon azia. As we talked about butterflies, I mentioned to him among many other things that I had once, many years before, found a larva of the Cuban Peacock A. chrysopelea but I didn’t remember clearly how it looked, nor even dare to dream of owning a camera at that time. I did however remember one feature consisting of a conspicuous white collar on the neck. I was just another young amateur lepidopterist at the start of his career so wasn't sure if I would be believed or not but he did in fact include this detail later in his book published in 2004. Now that we had the chance to find the eggs of Cuban Peacock during our latest trip together, and to rear the larvae, it was extremely exciting for me to confirm that the white collar is actually present and that the only characteristic that I remembered was correct! At rest, the collar remains hidden from view as the larva retracts the neck but can be seen in the photo of the larva while feeding. The A. chrysopelea larva differs from White Peacock A. jatrophae in having off-white inter-segmental transverse bands and also some whitish speckling. Superficially, the pupa is simillarly shaped in both species but I notice that the cremaster (silken pad) where it is attached is whitish in A. chrysopelea and reddish in A. jatrophae."
Thank you Doug for sharing.
Picture
Cuban Peacock Anartia chrysopelea 5th instar larva ex ova 15 Oct 2017 La Belen, Najasa © Douglas Fernández
Cuban Peacock Anartia chrysopelea 5th instar larva ex ova 16 Oct 2017 La Belen, Najasa © Douglas Fernández
Cuban Peacock Anartia chrysopelea pupa ex ova 22 Oct 2017 La Belen, Najasa © Douglas Fernández
The excitement wasn't over as I watched a female Malachite Siproeta stelenes fly down out of the canopy and lay a single egg on the terminal shoot of a small Ruellia blechum.
Malachite Siproeta stelenes male 28 Sept 2017 La Belen, Najasa © Tim Norriss
Malachite Siproeta stelenes egg 28 Sept 2017 La Belen, Najasa © Tim Norriss
There was a herd of magnificent long-horned cattle grazing this piece of woodland and we had very close views of an Ovenbird.
Picture
Picture
Ovenbird 28 Sept 2017 La Belen, Najasa © Tim Norriss
And if you're an arachnophobe then look away now..
Picture
28 Sept 2017 La Belen, Najasa © Tim Norriss
What a brilliant day at a great site. 45 species of butterflies which isn't the highest but included five Swallowtails including a Poey's Swallowtail Heraclides caiguanabus, 14 species of Skipper, several Dusky Emperor Asterocampa idyja and one Silver Emperor Doxocopa laure unfortunately seen by Doug only.
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