Lycaenidae : Theclinae
Strymon toussainti (Comstock & Huntington, 1943)
Toussaint's Scrub-Hairstreak
Strymon toussainti (Comstock & Huntington, 1943)
Toussaint's Scrub-Hairstreak
Description and Similar Species: Wingspan 23-26mm. Sexes are similar though males have a small darker androconial patch in the centre of the upper forewing. Could be easily overlooked for Mallow Scrub-Hairstreak Strymon istapa but on S. toussainti the row of dots on the under forewing are staggered and offset, and on the hindwing the two black spots near the costa are larger and closer together. The upperside is similar to S. istapa.
Range: Endemic to Puerto Rico, Hispaniola and a small area at the east end of Cuba within and around the U.S naval base at Guantanamo.
Status: Rare on Cuba and the few sightings have been in xeric areas in and near the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base at the far east end of the island. Between January and May 2024 surveys by Yosiel Alvarez and colleagues have discovered it in several sites along the SE coast including up to 20km inland and at a height of 420m asl. You can read the paper on its rediscovery in Cuba here (Gallardo & Alvarez, 2024).
Nectar Plants: Bidens pilosa, Ageratum conyzoides, Melochia tormentosa, Lippia nodiflora, Croton linearis, Calliandra colletioides and Heliotropum curassavicum.
Larval Foodplants: Thought to be plants in the Malvaceae family possibly Calliandra colletioides, Vachellia farnesiana or Waltheria indica but further work needs to be done.
Range: Endemic to Puerto Rico, Hispaniola and a small area at the east end of Cuba within and around the U.S naval base at Guantanamo.
Status: Rare on Cuba and the few sightings have been in xeric areas in and near the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base at the far east end of the island. Between January and May 2024 surveys by Yosiel Alvarez and colleagues have discovered it in several sites along the SE coast including up to 20km inland and at a height of 420m asl. You can read the paper on its rediscovery in Cuba here (Gallardo & Alvarez, 2024).
Nectar Plants: Bidens pilosa, Ageratum conyzoides, Melochia tormentosa, Lippia nodiflora, Croton linearis, Calliandra colletioides and Heliotropum curassavicum.
Larval Foodplants: Thought to be plants in the Malvaceae family possibly Calliandra colletioides, Vachellia farnesiana or Waltheria indica but further work needs to be done.
