list of butterflies of trinidad and tobago
List of butterflies of Trinidad and Tobago GudangMovies21 Rebahinxxi LK21
List of the butterfly species of Trinidad and Tobago, an island nation located in the Caribbean region off the northeast coast of South America.
The combined efforts of generations of resident and visiting naturalists have helped to make the butterfly fauna of Tobago well known. Some 129 species have been recorded on the island of Tobago that has a land area of only 300 km2 (116 mi2) and is approximately 42 km long and 10 km wide.
This list follows Malcolm Barcant (1970) who is the main source of information on the butterflies of Tobago. His book is no longer in print, but used copies are available at booksellers. Barcant gives each species an English common name, but many of these were never taken up. Barcant's English name and the more widely accepted English name are given in the list below. Since 1970 many of the Latin names used by Barcant have also changed. The 2004 catalog of Lamas was used to update the taxonomy.
There is little data on the seasonal distribution or abundance of the listed butterflies. In general, butterflies are more abundant in the wet season. However, in the dry season, when most people visit, and especially if the dry season is a wet one, there are many whites/yellows on the wing. These are hard to identify without capture. Other butterflies commonly seen in the dry season in the south west of the island are the monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus), the white peacock (Anartia jatrophe), the brown peacock (Anartia amathea), the West Indian buckeye (Junonia evarete) and the red rim (Biblis hyperia). Away from the flat south west towards Arnos Vale, there are many other butterflies to be found, including skippers and blues and the blue tinted handkerchief (Dynamine theseus). In the rain forest, on the main ridge, butterflies are quite scarce at this time of year.
Papilionidae, swallowtails
Battus polydamas, black page or gold rim
Papilio androgeus, Androgeus, queen page or queen swallowtail
Parides neophilus parianus, spear-winged cattleheart
Pieridae, whites and yellows
Aphrissa statira, yellow migrant
Phoebis sennae sennae, cloudless sulphur
Phoebis argante, apricot
Phoebis philea, orange-barred sulphur
Anteos maerula, yellow angled sulphur or gonatryx
Pyrisitia proterpia, tailed orange or little jaune (called Eureme proerpia by Barcant)
Eurema albula, ghost yellow or small white
Eurema venusta, little yellow
Eurema leuce, small yellow
Eurema elathea, small banded yellow
Eurema arbela, jagged-edged yellow (called Eureme gratiosa by Barcant)
Appias drusilla, pure white
Ascia monuste, cabbage white
Nymphalidae, four-footed butterflies
Their taxonomy is currently being revised.
= Satyrinae, browns
=Taygetis echo, echo satyr
Taygetis laches
Euptychia hesione
Euptychia myncea
Euptychia terrestris
Hermeuptychia hermes
Euptychia junia
Euptychia libye
Cissia penelope, Penelope's satyr
Cissia palladia, Butler's satyr
= Danainae
=Danaus plexippus, monarch butterfly
= Ithomiinae
=Pteronymia alissa, small rare blue transparent (called P. amandes by Barcant)
Ithomia pellucida, blue transparent
Hymenitis andromica, rare blue transparent
= Heliconiinae, longwing butterflies
=Heliconius melpomene tessa, postman
Heliconius erato tobagoensis, small postman or red postman
Heliconius ethilla, ethilia longwing
Eueides aliphera, small flambeau (called Heliconius aliphera by Barcant)
Eueides isabella, Isabella's heliconian
Dryas iulia, flambeau or Julia butterfly (called Calaenis iulia by Barcant)
Agraulis vanillae, silver spotted flambeau or Gulf fritillary
= Limenitidinae, admirals
=Adelpha iphiclus, Iphiclus sister
= Nymphalinae
=Hypanartia lethe, orange admiral
Hypolimnas misippus, Danaid eggfly
Anartia jatrophae jatrophae, white peacock
Anartia amathea, scarlet peacock
Junonia evarete evarete, West Indian buckeye
= Biblidinae
=Dynamine theseus, blue tinted handkerchief
Dynamine mylitta, large dynamine
Hamadryas februa, grey cracker
Mestra hypermestra, grey handkerchief
Biblis hyperia, red rim
Vanessa cardui, painted lady
Marpesia petreus, ruddy daggerwing or tailed flambeau
Historis odius, grape shoemaker
Diaethria clymena, Cramer's eighty-eight
= Charaxinae
=Archaeoprepona demophoon, silver king shoemaker (called Prepona antimache by Barcant)
Prepona laertes, purple king shoemaker
= Morphinae
=Morphini, morphos
Morpho peleides, morpho butterfly (called emperor butterfly by Barcant)
Brassolini, owl butterflies
Caligo eurilochus, owl butterfly or forest blue mort
Caligo teucer, owl butterfly or cocoa blue mort
Opsiphanes cassiae
Riodinidae, metalmarks
Perophthalma tullius, grey nymph
Anteros formosus, gold drop
Lymnas iarbas, underleaf (maybe the same species as Melanis iarbas)
Lymnas xarifa, orange-tipped underleaf
Mesene phareus, red devil
Lasaia agesilas, shining blue lasaia or green lasaia
Emesis caeneus, black-speckled emesis
Emesis progne, small brown emesis
Theope eudocia, orange theope
Theope virgilius, cream theope or blue-based theope
Synargis calyce, blue transparent
Hymenitis andromica, variable lemmark or brown and cream nymula
Lycaenidae, blues
Hemiargus hanno, common blue
Leptotes cassius, Cassius blue, tropical striped blue or meadow blue
Strymon faunalia (called Leptotes faunalia by Barcant)
Strymon bubastus (called Leptotes bubastus by Barcant)
Tmolus basalides,
Ministrymon echion, four-spotted hairstreak or red-spotted hairstreak (called Leptotes bubastus by Barcant)
Calycopis beon (maybe the same species as C. isobeon, the dusty blue hairstreak)
Calycopis hesperitis
Calycopis cyphara
Calycopis sangala
Calycopis spurina, brick-spotted blue
Calicopis calus, violet-tinted hairstreak
Chalybs herodotus, large green hairstreak
Chalybs simaethis, silver-banded hairstreak
Rekoa palegon, gold-bordered hairstreak or slated hairstreak
Rekoa zebina, Zebina hairstreak or double-spotted slate wing (called Thecla zebiina by Barcant)
Pseudolycaena marsyas, Cambridge blue or giant hairstreak
Hesperiidae, skippers
Eudamus proteus, long-tailed skipper
Eudamus catillus
Eudamus dorantes
Eudamus simplicius
Eudamus undalatus
Eudamus eurycles
Eudamus aminias
Eudamus octomaculata
Polites vibex praeceps, whirlabout
Mysoria venezuelae
Phanus marshalli
Celaenorrhinus eligius
Pellicia bessus
Pellicia bromias
Hesperia syrichtus
Hylephila phyleus, fiery skipper
Mucia thyia
Calpodes ethlius
Prenes nyctelius
Prenes ocola
Prenes sylvicola
Vacerra litana
Niconiades xanthaphes
Niconiades gesta
Mnasitheus simplicissimus
Megistias telata
Megistias epiberus
Megistias cortica
Carystus fantasos
Carystus phorcus
Cymaenes silius pericles
Epius veleda
Callimormus corades
Callimormus juventa
Thracides antonius
Perichares corydon
Ouleus fridericus, Fridericus spreadwing
Systacea erosa
Lerodea tripunctata
Lerodea phocilides
Rhinthon bistrigula
Rhinthon cubana orca, orca skipper
Talides sinon
Atrytone pericia
Lerema parum punctata
Urbanus procne, brown longtail
Hedylidae
The moth butterflies were not recorded.
References
Barcant, M. (1970). Butterflies of Trinidad and Tobago. Collins, London.
Lamas, G. (Ed.). (2004). Checklist: Part 4A. Hesperioidea-Papilionoidea. Gainesville, Florida: Association for Tropical Lepidoptera. ISBN 0-945417-28-4