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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.
Baracoa Skipper
Polites baracoa ssp.baracoa
27th November 2023. Jibacoa. Cuba.
See previous photograph for commentary.
27th November 2023. Jibacoa. Cuba.
See previous photograph for commentary.
Silver Emperor
Doxocopa laure ssp.druryi
30th November 2023. Jibacoa. Cuba.
This is the male of the species, a dramatic, exotic beast, very fond of nectaring. At certain angles the males catch the light in such a way that they show an iridescent purple sheen, as can be seen on this individual. This is a fairly widespread butterfly of central America, but it occurs as a discrete endemic subspecies on Cuba. It was a real thrill to find this beauty and spend plenty of time with a number of individuals. The female lacks the iridescence and is also less orange, but nevertheless beautiful in her own right (see next photograph).
30th November 2023. Jibacoa. Cuba.
This is the male of the species, a dramatic, exotic beast, very fond of nectaring. At certain angles the males catch the light in such a way that they show an iridescent purple sheen, as can be seen on this individual. This is a fairly widespread butterfly of central America, but it occurs as a discrete endemic subspecies on Cuba. It was a real thrill to find this beauty and spend plenty of time with a number of individuals. The female lacks the iridescence and is also less orange, but nevertheless beautiful in her own right (see next photograph).
Silver Emperor
Doxocopa laure ssp.druryi
3rd December 2023. Jibacao. Cuba.
The female of the species. See previous commentary.
3rd December 2023. Jibacao. Cuba.
The female of the species. See previous commentary.
Polydamas Swallowtail
Battus polydamas ssp.cubensis
24th November 2023. Jibacoa. Cuba.
This particular subspecies of the Polydamas Swallowtail is endemic to the Cuban Archipelago and Cayman Isles, where it is a very common insect. We saw loads of them, which suggests that it should be easy to get a decent photograph, but I failed on that task! Despite being numerous all fortnight, almost all of our sightings were of adults in flight, or males patrolling around tree-tops defending their leks. I managed to grab this rather poor high-shutter speed shot of one at nectar, where they flap their wings relentlessly!
24th November 2023. Jibacoa. Cuba.
This particular subspecies of the Polydamas Swallowtail is endemic to the Cuban Archipelago and Cayman Isles, where it is a very common insect. We saw loads of them, which suggests that it should be easy to get a decent photograph, but I failed on that task! Despite being numerous all fortnight, almost all of our sightings were of adults in flight, or males patrolling around tree-tops defending their leks. I managed to grab this rather poor high-shutter speed shot of one at nectar, where they flap their wings relentlessly!
Phaon Crescent
Phyciodes phaon ssp.phaon
1st December 2023. Jibacoa. Cuba.
One of two new "crescent" butterflies, this was fairly frequent in flower-rich scrubby grasslands along the coastal area surrounding our hotel in Playa Jibacoa. A twitchy butterfly, settling often but usually not staying still - it has the habit of continually opening and closing its wings when landed. Another challenge for the aspiring photographer! It flies close to the ground but will sometimes fly higher to access good nectar sources. Widely distributed butterfly across the central American mainland, also found on Cuba and the Cayman Islands.
1st December 2023. Jibacoa. Cuba.
One of two new "crescent" butterflies, this was fairly frequent in flower-rich scrubby grasslands along the coastal area surrounding our hotel in Playa Jibacoa. A twitchy butterfly, settling often but usually not staying still - it has the habit of continually opening and closing its wings when landed. Another challenge for the aspiring photographer! It flies close to the ground but will sometimes fly higher to access good nectar sources. Widely distributed butterfly across the central American mainland, also found on Cuba and the Cayman Islands.
Phaon Crescent
Phyciodes phaon ssp.phaon
1st December 2023. Jibacoa. Cuba.
See previous photograph for commentary.
1st December 2023. Jibacoa. Cuba.
See previous photograph for commentary.
Nickerbean Blue
Cyclargus ammon
6th December 2023. Jibacao. Cuba.
This is a butterfly with a quite restricted distribution, found only in Cuba, the Cayman Islands, the Bahamas and south Florida. It is one of several similarly sized and marked blue butterflies to be found in scrubby grassland habitats on the island. I really wanted to see this species, but struggled to get a definite ID. All of the blues were hyperactive and difficult to get close to, and all of the ones that I managed to photograph turned out to be other species than this one, until our penultimate day, when I took this image. It wasn't until we had arrived back in England and I was editing my shots that I noticed this was indeed a Nickerbean Blue! I was very pleased to have found one eventually!
6th December 2023. Jibacao. Cuba.
This is a butterfly with a quite restricted distribution, found only in Cuba, the Cayman Islands, the Bahamas and south Florida. It is one of several similarly sized and marked blue butterflies to be found in scrubby grassland habitats on the island. I really wanted to see this species, but struggled to get a definite ID. All of the blues were hyperactive and difficult to get close to, and all of the ones that I managed to photograph turned out to be other species than this one, until our penultimate day, when I took this image. It wasn't until we had arrived back in England and I was editing my shots that I noticed this was indeed a Nickerbean Blue! I was very pleased to have found one eventually!
Miami Blue
Cyclargus thomasi ssp.noeli
24th November 2023. Jibacoa. Cuba.
We found quite a few of these during our stay in Cuba, even though it is not considered common there. It turned up most days in coastal grass-scrub habitat. This particular subspecies is confined to Cuba, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico and the Cayman Islands. A second subspecies used to occur at a number of sites in Florida but became critically endangered towards the end of the 20th century and has been the subject of a great deal of conservation effort and research. On Cuba, it seems to be doing OK. The area where we found it is not shown on the distribution maps in the Cuban Butterfly field guide, so it may even be increasing in range on the island. Very similar in appearance and habit to the previous species, the Nickerbean Blue, and also the next species, the Cassius Blue.
24th November 2023. Jibacoa. Cuba.
We found quite a few of these during our stay in Cuba, even though it is not considered common there. It turned up most days in coastal grass-scrub habitat. This particular subspecies is confined to Cuba, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico and the Cayman Islands. A second subspecies used to occur at a number of sites in Florida but became critically endangered towards the end of the 20th century and has been the subject of a great deal of conservation effort and research. On Cuba, it seems to be doing OK. The area where we found it is not shown on the distribution maps in the Cuban Butterfly field guide, so it may even be increasing in range on the island. Very similar in appearance and habit to the previous species, the Nickerbean Blue, and also the next species, the Cassius Blue.
Cassius Blue
Leptotes cassius ssp.theonus
24th November 2023. Jibacoa. Cuba.
The third of the trio of tiny blues depicted on this page is the commonest on Cuba. Once again, this is a butterfly of grassy scrubland, a very active little thing, difficult to approach, but with an underside pattern that is noticeably different from the previous two blues here, lacking the prominent large dark spots of the hindwing of the other two, but having more markings on the underside forewing. Very similar in appearance to its European counterpart, Lang's Short-tailed Blue.
24th November 2023. Jibacoa. Cuba.
The third of the trio of tiny blues depicted on this page is the commonest on Cuba. Once again, this is a butterfly of grassy scrubland, a very active little thing, difficult to approach, but with an underside pattern that is noticeably different from the previous two blues here, lacking the prominent large dark spots of the hindwing of the other two, but having more markings on the underside forewing. Very similar in appearance to its European counterpart, Lang's Short-tailed Blue.
Mimosa Yellow
Pyrisitia nise ssp.nise
29th November 2023. Jibacoa. Cuba.
This is a small but rather attractive yellow, and one that does actually sit still from time to time, unlike many of its close relatives! The Mimosa Yellow has a wide range that encompasses most of south and central America. The subspecies flying on Cuba is restricted to the Bahamas, Jamaica, Cuba and south Florida. We found it in coastal locations and also further inland at higher altitude.
29th November 2023. Jibacoa. Cuba.
This is a small but rather attractive yellow, and one that does actually sit still from time to time, unlike many of its close relatives! The Mimosa Yellow has a wide range that encompasses most of south and central America. The subspecies flying on Cuba is restricted to the Bahamas, Jamaica, Cuba and south Florida. We found it in coastal locations and also further inland at higher altitude.
Mimosa and Boisduvals Yellows
Pyrisitia nise ssp.nise and Eurema boisduvaliana
26th November. Topes de Collantes. Cuba.
These two were photographed up in the mountains towards the south coast of Cuba, Mimosa Yellow in front and two Biosduval's Yellows at the back, all taking up salts. These Boisduval's Yellows were a nice reacquaintance for us as we had previously seen this species in Costa Rica. It has a lovely angular hindwing shape and very attractive reddish markings. Very yellow in flight.
26th November. Topes de Collantes. Cuba.
These two were photographed up in the mountains towards the south coast of Cuba, Mimosa Yellow in front and two Biosduval's Yellows at the back, all taking up salts. These Boisduval's Yellows were a nice reacquaintance for us as we had previously seen this species in Costa Rica. It has a lovely angular hindwing shape and very attractive reddish markings. Very yellow in flight.
Mexican Fritillary
Euptoieta hegesia
2nd December 2023. Jibacoa. Cuba.
A widespread butterfly across much of the American continent, including the West Indies, this was the only one that we encountered during our stay. It is an attractive butterfly that flies low to the ground. I have seen it several times before in Costa Rica but never in any numbers, usually just odd singletons here and there.
2nd December 2023. Jibacoa. Cuba.
A widespread butterfly across much of the American continent, including the West Indies, this was the only one that we encountered during our stay. It is an attractive butterfly that flies low to the ground. I have seen it several times before in Costa Rica but never in any numbers, usually just odd singletons here and there.
Mesogramma Skipper
Atalopedes mesogramma ssp.mesogramma
30th November 2023. Jibacoa. Cuba.
Quite a sizeable skipper, this photograph shows the male of the species. The females are less colourful, lacking the golden markings and just having pale white flecks on the upperwing. Both sexes have the prominent hindwing underside band, which is clearly seen in the next photograph. The subspecies mesogramma is common on Cuba and in the Bahamas. As with all skippers, this can be a frustrating butterfly to photograph as it zips around at great speed, alighting only briefly at nectar. I like a challenge, but at times these creatures really test the patience of the butterfly photographer abroad!
30th November 2023. Jibacoa. Cuba.
Quite a sizeable skipper, this photograph shows the male of the species. The females are less colourful, lacking the golden markings and just having pale white flecks on the upperwing. Both sexes have the prominent hindwing underside band, which is clearly seen in the next photograph. The subspecies mesogramma is common on Cuba and in the Bahamas. As with all skippers, this can be a frustrating butterfly to photograph as it zips around at great speed, alighting only briefly at nectar. I like a challenge, but at times these creatures really test the patience of the butterfly photographer abroad!
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