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Tropical Buckeye
Junonia zonalis
23rd November 2023. Jibacoa. Cuba.
This is a stunning butterfly when freshly emerged, as in the case of this particular example, photographed in a scrubby coastal location in the north of Cuba. This species has a distinctive flight pattern punctuated by periods of gliding with the wings held flat open. Widely distributed across central America, including the Caribbean.
23rd November 2023. Jibacoa. Cuba.
This is a stunning butterfly when freshly emerged, as in the case of this particular example, photographed in a scrubby coastal location in the north of Cuba. This species has a distinctive flight pattern punctuated by periods of gliding with the wings held flat open. Widely distributed across central America, including the Caribbean.
Fulvous Hairstreak
Electrostrymon angelia
30th November 2023. Jibacoa. Cuba.
This individual took my breath away when I first saw it at nectar early in the morning close to our hotel. Simply gorgeous! A tiny hairstreak, smaller than those found in the UK, but with stunning markings and colouration. We were very lucky to see this species in large numbers - over 200 were nectaring voraciously on a small patch of nectar no more than ten metres wide. They had all clearly just emerged and were very fresh, quite a sight to see. Three days later they had all but disappeared, such is the speed with which some species emerge and live out their lives in the tropics.
30th November 2023. Jibacoa. Cuba.
This individual took my breath away when I first saw it at nectar early in the morning close to our hotel. Simply gorgeous! A tiny hairstreak, smaller than those found in the UK, but with stunning markings and colouration. We were very lucky to see this species in large numbers - over 200 were nectaring voraciously on a small patch of nectar no more than ten metres wide. They had all clearly just emerged and were very fresh, quite a sight to see. Three days later they had all but disappeared, such is the speed with which some species emerge and live out their lives in the tropics.
Caribbean Banner
Lucinia sida ssp. sida
5th December 2023. Jibacoa. Cuba.
The Caribbean Banner is confined to Hispaniola, Cuba and the Bahamas, and the ones found on Cuba are of the endemic subspecies, Lucinia sida sida. We saw several dozens of them during our holiday. This is a small to medium sized butterfly that appears very bright orange on the wing, but usually sits with wings closed, and is fond of landing deep inside scrubby bushes. It appears to favour certain bushes, and is very territorial in behaviour. The underside is a real work of art! See next photograph.
5th December 2023. Jibacoa. Cuba.
The Caribbean Banner is confined to Hispaniola, Cuba and the Bahamas, and the ones found on Cuba are of the endemic subspecies, Lucinia sida sida. We saw several dozens of them during our holiday. This is a small to medium sized butterfly that appears very bright orange on the wing, but usually sits with wings closed, and is fond of landing deep inside scrubby bushes. It appears to favour certain bushes, and is very territorial in behaviour. The underside is a real work of art! See next photograph.
Caribbean Banner
Lucinia sida ssp.sida
5th December 2023. Jibacoa. Cuba.
See previous photograph for commentary.
5th December 2023. Jibacoa. Cuba.
See previous photograph for commentary.
Zebra Longwing
Heliconius charithonia ssp.ramsdeni
28th November 2023. Jibacoa. Cuba.
Anyone who has visited a tropical butterfly house is likely to have come across this butterfly. It is a staple species for such establishments. Seeing it in the wild, in its natural habitat, brings a whole new dimension to the experience of watching this lovely insect going about its day to day business! It is common on Cuba, occurring as the subspecies ramsdeni which also flies in neighbouring islands of the Bahamas.
28th November 2023. Jibacoa. Cuba.
Anyone who has visited a tropical butterfly house is likely to have come across this butterfly. It is a staple species for such establishments. Seeing it in the wild, in its natural habitat, brings a whole new dimension to the experience of watching this lovely insect going about its day to day business! It is common on Cuba, occurring as the subspecies ramsdeni which also flies in neighbouring islands of the Bahamas.
White Peacock
Anartia jatrophae ssp. guantanamo
6th December 2023. Jibacao. Cuba.
The White Peacock is a very common Cuban butterfly. I have previously seen this species in Costa Rica, where it is also common, as it is across much of central and southern America. The subspecies that flies in Cuba and nearby islands and mainland seems to me to be a little more orange in colour than those that occur in Costa Rica. It was numerous along roadsides, coastal paths and in flowery grasslands wherever we walked, and soon became easy to ignore, which is a shame as it is a handsome beast!
6th December 2023. Jibacao. Cuba.
The White Peacock is a very common Cuban butterfly. I have previously seen this species in Costa Rica, where it is also common, as it is across much of central and southern America. The subspecies that flies in Cuba and nearby islands and mainland seems to me to be a little more orange in colour than those that occur in Costa Rica. It was numerous along roadsides, coastal paths and in flowery grasslands wherever we walked, and soon became easy to ignore, which is a shame as it is a handsome beast!
Southern Dogface
Zerene cesonia
2nd December 2023. Jibacoa. Cuba.
This was one butterfly that I really hoped to find during our stay on Cuba. It is described as "uncommon" by the authors of the Field Guide to the Butterflies of Cuba. We had a brief glimpse of one close to Che Guevara's memorial during a tour one day, but didn't manage to photograph it. Luckily, a small emergence near the coast by our hotel in the second half of the holiday enabled me to get this shot. It is similar to a Clouded Yellow in appearance but with a slower, more erratic and uncertain flight pattern. Bright clean yellow in colour with a noticeable black border, especially in flight.
2nd December 2023. Jibacoa. Cuba.
This was one butterfly that I really hoped to find during our stay on Cuba. It is described as "uncommon" by the authors of the Field Guide to the Butterflies of Cuba. We had a brief glimpse of one close to Che Guevara's memorial during a tour one day, but didn't manage to photograph it. Luckily, a small emergence near the coast by our hotel in the second half of the holiday enabled me to get this shot. It is similar to a Clouded Yellow in appearance but with a slower, more erratic and uncertain flight pattern. Bright clean yellow in colour with a noticeable black border, especially in flight.
Lime Swallowtail
Papilio demoleus
1st December 2023. Jibacoa. Cuba.
This is another butterfly often found in tropical butterfly houses. Primarily an Asian species, it has recently appeared in the Americas, and was first reported from Cuba at a single location in 2007, but is now apparently well established as a breeding species. We saw several during our stay - most of them were travelling at speed but instantly identifiable in flight. One particular red-flowered bush was acting as a magnet for this beauty, but it was still tricky to photograph as it flaps its wings rapidly and continuously even when at nectar. This was about the best I could manage, a high shutter speed attempt as the insect moved rapidly around the bush, never settling at a single flower for long. Several other butterflies were also strongly attracted to this nectar source, as was a beautiful iridescent green hummingbird!
1st December 2023. Jibacoa. Cuba.
This is another butterfly often found in tropical butterfly houses. Primarily an Asian species, it has recently appeared in the Americas, and was first reported from Cuba at a single location in 2007, but is now apparently well established as a breeding species. We saw several during our stay - most of them were travelling at speed but instantly identifiable in flight. One particular red-flowered bush was acting as a magnet for this beauty, but it was still tricky to photograph as it flaps its wings rapidly and continuously even when at nectar. This was about the best I could manage, a high shutter speed attempt as the insect moved rapidly around the bush, never settling at a single flower for long. Several other butterflies were also strongly attracted to this nectar source, as was a beautiful iridescent green hummingbird!
Orion Cecropian
Historis odius
4th December 2023. Jibacao. Cuba.
There is a reason that the Spanish call this the "Giant Emperor". It is a huge butterfly, almost six inches in wingspan! The first one that I saw flew up and over the top of the canopy alongside a busy road, leaving me exclaiming "What was THAT?!" It disappeared, but a couple of days later my wife spotted this individual as it landed, once again high up in a tree top. I managed a rather poor full-zoom photo, as you can see. Very orange in flight, and apparently fond of drinking the juices of over-ripe fruits, we only had two brief glimpses of what is Cuba's largest butterfly, allegedly quite common.
4th December 2023. Jibacao. Cuba.
There is a reason that the Spanish call this the "Giant Emperor". It is a huge butterfly, almost six inches in wingspan! The first one that I saw flew up and over the top of the canopy alongside a busy road, leaving me exclaiming "What was THAT?!" It disappeared, but a couple of days later my wife spotted this individual as it landed, once again high up in a tree top. I managed a rather poor full-zoom photo, as you can see. Very orange in flight, and apparently fond of drinking the juices of over-ripe fruits, we only had two brief glimpses of what is Cuba's largest butterfly, allegedly quite common.
Cuban Common Calisto
Calisto herophile
23rd November 2023. Jibacoa. Cuba.
This photograph is special. It was taken on our first morning in Cuba, just outside the grounds of our hotel. There were several small, brownish butterflies, about the size of Gatekeepers, flying close to the ground by some small bushes. They didn't look particularly exciting, but as this was my first time on the island, I assumed they were going to be a species that I hadn't seen before, so I needed a photograph. One had just settled, wings closed. I could hardly believe my eyers when I focused in on it - a real WOW moment! Such a gorgeous underside. Those eyespots! The wavy lines. The colours! Sublime. A truly magical experience. It turned out to be the commonest butterfly of the holiday, to be found just about everywhere we went, usually keeping to the shadier grassy edges of tracks, roads and scrubland. A sensational Cuban endemic and a great personal favourite.
23rd November 2023. Jibacoa. Cuba.
This photograph is special. It was taken on our first morning in Cuba, just outside the grounds of our hotel. There were several small, brownish butterflies, about the size of Gatekeepers, flying close to the ground by some small bushes. They didn't look particularly exciting, but as this was my first time on the island, I assumed they were going to be a species that I hadn't seen before, so I needed a photograph. One had just settled, wings closed. I could hardly believe my eyers when I focused in on it - a real WOW moment! Such a gorgeous underside. Those eyespots! The wavy lines. The colours! Sublime. A truly magical experience. It turned out to be the commonest butterfly of the holiday, to be found just about everywhere we went, usually keeping to the shadier grassy edges of tracks, roads and scrubland. A sensational Cuban endemic and a great personal favourite.
Cuban Common Calisto
Calisto herophile
27th November 2023. Jibacoa. Cuba.
Mating pair. See previous photography for commentary.
27th November 2023. Jibacoa. Cuba.
Mating pair. See previous photography for commentary.
Baracoa Skipper
Polites baracoa ssp.baracoa
1st December 2023. Jibacoa. Cuba.
This is a butterfly that you won't find in your average tropical butterfly house! Most such attractions focus on keeping the large, showy species such as Heliconids, Swallowtails, Morphos, Owl Butterflies and the like. For me, one of the greatest pleasures of exploring the tropics is finding things like skippers, blues and hairstreaks, and unusual whites and yellows, alongside the more dramatic icons. The Baracoa Skipper was very common in coastal grassland around our hotel and along the edge of the beach. It is a delightful, very small skipper, about half the size of our own Lulworth Skipper, and became a personal favourite of mine during our stay. It is yet another species that has a rather restricted biogeography, being confined to Cuba, Hispaniola and parts of Florida.
1st December 2023. Jibacoa. Cuba.
This is a butterfly that you won't find in your average tropical butterfly house! Most such attractions focus on keeping the large, showy species such as Heliconids, Swallowtails, Morphos, Owl Butterflies and the like. For me, one of the greatest pleasures of exploring the tropics is finding things like skippers, blues and hairstreaks, and unusual whites and yellows, alongside the more dramatic icons. The Baracoa Skipper was very common in coastal grassland around our hotel and along the edge of the beach. It is a delightful, very small skipper, about half the size of our own Lulworth Skipper, and became a personal favourite of mine during our stay. It is yet another species that has a rather restricted biogeography, being confined to Cuba, Hispaniola and parts of Florida.
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