Caribbean Ruby-eye Perichares philetes Dec 2020 Holguin © Karlos Ross
We have only very occasionally come across adult Caribbean Ruby-eye Perichares philetes and when I saw this photo taken recently by Karlos Ross near Holguin I couldn't resist adding it here as it is the best photo of the species I have seen. Because they really only seem to fly at dusk unless disturbed it is necessary to use flash and that tends to burn out the eye on the photo. So well done to Karlos on a great photo.
On this website I have continued to use the long-held traditional position of what is a butterfly - and what is a moth. But these days butterflies are now understood to comprise the superfamilies Papilionoidea and Hesperioidea. Otakar Kudma explains "This is a pragmatic solution. The superfamily Hesperioidea are now regarded as the sister group of the butterflies. Bearing in mind that all butterflies (Papilionoidea) have apposition eyes evolved specifically for daylight whereas all skippers (Hesperioidea) have super-position eyes, evolved originally for better night vision, and in some instances later adapted for daylight, the skippers are better regarded as day-active moths".
And one simple example of this can be seen in the shape of the antennae which resemble those of Zygaenidae, a family that we consider to be moths not butterflies even though they fly in daylight.
Caribbean Ruby-eye is usually seen only first thing in the morning and last thing in the evening but perhaps it also flies during the night too - we just don't yet know. It can of course be found if disturbed during the day from its resting place in forest shadow but the speed of flight makes it very hard to follow. And of course the larvae can be found at any time of day hidden within a folded grass blade secured closed with silk.
On this website I have continued to use the long-held traditional position of what is a butterfly - and what is a moth. But these days butterflies are now understood to comprise the superfamilies Papilionoidea and Hesperioidea. Otakar Kudma explains "This is a pragmatic solution. The superfamily Hesperioidea are now regarded as the sister group of the butterflies. Bearing in mind that all butterflies (Papilionoidea) have apposition eyes evolved specifically for daylight whereas all skippers (Hesperioidea) have super-position eyes, evolved originally for better night vision, and in some instances later adapted for daylight, the skippers are better regarded as day-active moths".
And one simple example of this can be seen in the shape of the antennae which resemble those of Zygaenidae, a family that we consider to be moths not butterflies even though they fly in daylight.
Caribbean Ruby-eye is usually seen only first thing in the morning and last thing in the evening but perhaps it also flies during the night too - we just don't yet know. It can of course be found if disturbed during the day from its resting place in forest shadow but the speed of flight makes it very hard to follow. And of course the larvae can be found at any time of day hidden within a folded grass blade secured closed with silk.
And I will just make mention of one other group that I have not included in the butterflies here on the website. That is the Hedylidae which was for a while placed in the Papilionoidea but which is now placed in a superfamily of its own Hedyloidea. There are just 35 species all found in the Neo-tropics that are now placed in a single genus called Macrosoma. There is just one species in Cuba Macrosoma rubedinaria which we have never seen though we did find another species in Bolivia last year that I have not yet identified.
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