We are just back from our latest trip to Guardalavaca, Cuba. The weather during the summer ‘wet’ season has been extraordinarily dry for much of Cuba but there had been some welcome rain during the last three weeks of October which meant that there was a great abundance of many butterflies – we had timed it just right! Things like Gray Cracker Hamadryas februa which we had previously seen only in small numbers were everywhere and we found and photographed all of its life stages too! In all we saw 82 species (including 9 swallowtails and 27 skippers) and most were close to the hotel though we did have two day trips out to Gibara about 30 miles away. More details will follow on later blogs but some of the highlights were:
- Meeting up and having some great trips out with local and American entomologists including Rayner Núñez, Douglas Fernández, Dr Marc Minno and his colleagues Miriam and Barbara, Feliberto Bermudez and Sandy Villar – our sincere thanks to them all for their company and for sharing their great knowledge.
- Finding lots of larvae, many with help from the above-mentioned.
- Good views and photos of the Anole Anolis equestris courtesy of Carlos.
- Miami Blue Cyclargus thomasi at two new sites with pictures of larvae attended by ants.
- Ten new butterfly species during the trip but only one new one for the website – Southern Dogface Zerene cesonia.
Heraclides androgeus Androgeus Swallowtail male hill-topping Gibara 10 Nov 2015 © Tim Norriss
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