List of butterflies of Trinidad and Tobago

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.[1] 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.[2]

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
Parides neophilus parianus, Trinidad

Pieridae, whites and yellows
Phoebis sennae sennae, Tobago
Eurema albula, Trinidad

Nymphalidae, four-footed butterflies

Their taxonomy is currently being revised.

Satyrinae, browns
Taygetis virgilia, Trinidad
Hermeuptychia hermes, Trinidad
  • 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

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 erato, Trinidad
Dryas iulia iulia, Trinidad

Nymphalinae
Anartia amathea, Trinidad

Biblidinae
Diaethria clymena

Charaxinae
  • Archaeoprepona demophoon, silver king shoemaker (called Prepona antimache by Barcant)
  • Prepona laertes, purple king shoemaker

Morphini, morphos

Brassolini, owl butterflies

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
Leptotes cassius
  • 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
Polites vibex praeceps, Tobago
Ouleus fridericus, Trinidad
Urbanus simplicius, Tobago
  • 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
  1. Barcant, M. (1970). Butterflies of Trinidad and Tobago. Collins, London.
  2. Lamas, G. (Ed.). (2004). Checklist: Part 4A. Hesperioidea-Papilionoidea. Gainesville, Florida: Association for Tropical Lepidoptera.
  • 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
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