Field Guide to the butterflies of the Springfield Plantation

Tasha Bedgood

Texas A&M University Study Abroad Program

Dr. Tom Lacher Dr. Robert Wharton

Dominica 2001

Tasha Bedgood Dominica 2001

Field Guide to the butterflies of the Springfield Plantation

Abstract Butterflies are in the order Lepidoptera and I have found six different families and sixteen

different species. The butterflies that were found on the trail to the right of the veranda

consisted of a variety of different species, as opposed to some of the other locations that

contained only a few different species. The Caribbean Buckeye was the one species of

butterfly that seemed to be grouped in one area. They are found in great quantities at Mt.

Joy.

Introduction Dominica is a beautiful island with many natural attractions and historical sites. One of

the attractions on the island is the Springfield Plantation. It is an old plantation that has

not been in operation for some time. Clemson University bought the plantation in 1989

and renamed it The Archbold Tropical Research Center. The plantation is now used as a

guesthouse and a center for environmental protection, research, and education.

Springfield is in a transitional or deciduous forest, which allows researchers to study a

variety of species of the flora and fauna. While I was at the center, I chose to study the

butterflies on the plantation. Butterflies are beautiful creatures that catch the eye of

anyone they encounter. I did a survey of the butterflies and recorded the species in

different areas.

Method and Materials I caught and identified a number of butterflies around the field station (veranda), the

stream house, down a path to the right of the veranda, at the Bee House, and at Mt. Joy

(the old dorms). I observed and recorded species at these locations for three days. When

I had gathered enough information, I examined the data and looked for a pattern in the

areas where I observed butterflies.

To aid in my research, I used:

▸ Butterfly nets ▸ Field guide to the butterflies of Dominica ▸ Butterflies and Other Insects of the Eastern Caribbean (1989) by Peter Stiling

Results Total butterflies a day: May 30 June 1 June 4 Stream house 15 11 10 Veranda 18 15 14 Trail 36 32 32 Bee House 11 13 15 Mt. Joy 27 27 23 TOTAL 107 98 94 Number of species a day: May 30 June 1 June 4 Stream house 4 4 6 Veranda 6 4 5 Trail 14 12 14 Bee House 6 7 5 Mt. Joy 9 8 6 Complete Species List: Day one (5-30-2001) At the stream house: total = 15 Family Nymphalidae 1 Junonia evarete (Caribbean Buckeye) Family Pieridae 5 Ascia monuste (Great Southern White) 4 Phoebis sennae (Cloudless Sulphur) 3 Appias drusilla (Florida White) Family Lycaenidae 1 Hemiargus hanno (Hanno Blue) Family Hesperiidae 1 Polites dictynna (Lesser Whirlabout) At the field station (veranda): total = 18 Family Pieridae 6 Ascia monuste (Great Southern White) 5 Phoebis sennae (Cloudless Sulphur) Family Lycaenidae 3 Hemiargus hanno (Hanno Blue) 1 Leptotes cassius (Cassius Blue) Family Danaidae 3 Danaus plexippus (The Monarch) On the trail to the right of the veranda: total = 36 Family Nymphalidae 2 Anartia jatrophae (White Peacock)

1 Junonia evarete (Caribbean Buckeye) Family Pieridae 2 Ascia monuste (Great Southern White) 6 Phoebis sennae (Cloudless Sulphur) 2 Appias drusilla (Florida White) 3 Eurema venuste (Little Yellow) 2 Phoebis trite (Straight-line Sulphur) Family Lycaenidae 4 Hemiargus hanno (Hanno Blue) 2 Strymon bubastus (Bubastus Hairstreak) 1 Leptotes cassius (Cassius Blue) Family Danaidae 3 Danaus plexippus (The Monarch) Family Heliconiidae 2 Dione vanillae (Gulf Fritillary) Family Hesperiidae 2 Pyrgus oileus (Tropical Chequered Skipper) 4 Wallengrenia otho (Broken Dash Skipper) At the Bee House: total = 11 Family Nymphalidae 2 Anartia jatrophae (White Peacock) Family Pieridae

3 Eurema venuste (Little Yellow) Family Lycaenidae 3 Hemiargus hanno (Hanno Blue) Family Danaidae 2 Danaus plexippus (The Monarch) Family Hesperiidae

1 Wallengrenia otho (Broken Dash Skipper) At My. Joy (old dorms): total = 27 Family Nymphalidae 2 Anartia jatrophae (White Peacock) 15 Junonia evarete (Caribbean Buckeye) Family Pieridae 2 Eurema leuce (Hall’s Sulphur) 3 Eurema venuste (Little Yellow) Family Lycaenidae 4 Leptotes cassius (Cassius Blue) Family Danaidae 1 Danaus plexippus (The Monarch) Day two (6-1-2001) At the stream house: total = 11

Family Pieridae 4 Ascia monuste (Great Southern White) 2 Phoebis sennae (Cloudless Sulphur) 2 Appias drusilla (Florida White) Family Lycaenidae 3 Hemiargus hanno (Hanno Blue) At the field station (veranda): total = 15 Family Pieridae 7 Ascia monuste (Great Southern White) 5 Phoebis sennae (Cloudless Sulphur) Family Lycaenidae 2 Hemiargus hanno (Hanno Blue) Family Danaidae 1 Danaus plexippus (The Monarch) On the trail to the right of the veranda: total = 32 Family Nymphalidae 3 Anartia jatrophae (White Peacock) 2 Junonia evarete (Caribbean Buckeye) Family Pieridae 4 Ascia monuste (Great Southern White) 7 Phoebis sennae (Cloudless Sulphur) 1 Appias drusilla (Florida White) 1 Eurema venuste (Little Yellow) Family Lycaenidae 4 Hemiargus hanno (Hanno Blue) 3 Leptotes cassius (Cassius Blue) Family Danaidae 3 Danaus plexippus (The Monarch) Family Heliconiidae 1 Dione vanillae (Gulf Fritillary) Family Hesperiidae 1 Pyrgus oileus (Tropical Chequered Skipper) 2 Wallengrenia otho (Broken Dash Skipper) At the Bee House: total = 13 Family Nymphalidae 1 Anartia jatrophae (White Peacock) Family Pieridae 3 Appias drusilla (Florida White)

2 Eurema venuste (Little Yellow) Family Lycaenidae 1 Hemiargus hanno (Hanno Blue) 3 Leptotes cassius (Cassius Blue) Family Danaidae

1 Danaus plexippus (The Monarch) Family Hesperiidae 2 Pyrgus oileus (Tropical Chequered Skipper) At My. Joy (old dorms): total = 27 Family Nymphalidae 2 Anartia jatrophae (White Peacock) 13 Junonia evarete (Caribbean Buckeye) Family Pieridae 2 Phoebis sennae (Cloudless Sulphur) 3 Eurema leuce (Hall’s Sulphur) 2 Eurema venuste (Little Yellow) Family Lycaenidae 2 Leptotes cassius (Cassius Blue) Family Danaidae 2 Danaus plexippus (The Monarch) Family Hesperiidae 1 Wallengrenia otho (Broken Dash Skipper) Day three (6-4-2001) At the stream house: total = 10 Family Pieridae 4 Ascia monuste (Great Southern White) 3 Phoebis sennae (Cloudless Sulphur) 2 Appias drusilla (Florida White) Family Lycaenidae 1 Hemiargus hanno (Hanno Blue) At the field station (veranda): total = 14 Family Pieridae 4 Ascia monuste (Great Southern White) 4 Phoebis sennae (Cloudless Sulphur) 2 Appias drusilla (Florida White) Family Lycaenidae 2 Hemiargus hanno (Hanno Blue) 1 Leptotes cassius (Cassius Blue) Family Hesperiidae 1 Polites dictynna (Lesser Whirlabout) On the trail to the right of the veranda: total = 32 Family Nymphalidae 2 Anartia jatrophae (White Peacock) 1 Junonia evarete (Caribbean Buckeye) Family Pieridae 2 Ascia monuste (Great Southern White)

4 Phoebis sennae (Cloudless Sulphur) 3 Appias drusilla (Florida White) 4 Eurema venuste (Little Yellow) 1 Phoebis trite (Straight-line Sulphur) Family Lycaenidae 3 Hemiargus hanno (Hanno Blue) 1 Strymon bubastus (Bubastus Hairstreak) 3 Leptotes cassius (Cassius Blue) Family Danaidae 2 Danaus plexippus (The Monarch) Family Heliconiidae 2 Dione vanillae (Gulf Fritillary) Family Hesperiidae 2 Pyrgus oileus (Tropical Chequered Skipper) 2 Wallengrenia otho (Broken Dash Skipper) At the Bee House: total = 15 Family Nymphalidae 3 Anartia jatrophae (White Peacock) Family Pieridae 4 Appias drusilla (Florida White)

2 Eurema venuste (Little Yellow) Family Lycaenidae 3 Hemiargus hanno (Hanno Blue) 2 Leptotes cassius (Cassius Blue) Family Hesperiidae 1 Pyrgus oileus (Tropical Chequered Skipper) At My. Joy (old dorms): total = 23 Family Nymphalidae 1 Anartia jatrophae (White Peacock) 10 Junonia evarete (Caribbean Buckeye) Family Pieridae 1 Phoebis sennae (Cloudless Sulphur) 2 Eurema leuce (Hall’s Sulphur) 2 Eurema venuste (Little Yellow) Family Lycaenidae 3 Hemiargus hanno (Hanno Blue) 2 Leptotes cassius (Cassius Blue) Family Danaidae 1 Danaus plexippus (The Monarch) Family Hesperiidae 1 Wallengrenia otho (Broken Dash Skipper)

Discussion Butterflies are in the order Lepidoptera and I have found six different families and sixteen

different species. I had no way of marking the butterflies, so it is possible that I have

recorded the same butterfly more than once in one evening. I tried not to stay in one area

too long to avoid this. I also alternated the times of the day that I went to the different

areas of study. The first day I went to the stream house, veranda, and the trail to the right

of the veranda in the morning and then I went to the Bee House and Mt. Joy in the

evening. I alternated the locations and times for three days. In order to identify the

butterflies in a precise way, I would catch them with a butterfly net and then use my

reference material to correctly identify them. Along with identifying them, I would note

where they were at the time of capture. From my experience, the butterflies around the

stream house and the veranda never really landed on anything, they just flew around, so I

had to catch them (though a few of the butterflies did land on the plumeria tree by the

veranda). The butterflies at the other locations were easier to identify because they

would land on the flowers or plants long enough for me to identify them. The butterflies

that I identified were fairly consistent in species composition in the areas at which they

stayed. I found that most of the butterflies were found on the trail to the right of the

veranda that heads down to the big fig tree. The ones found on the trail consisted of a

variety of different species, as opposed to some of the other locations that contained only

a few different species. Mt. Joy appeared to be the best place to view the Caribbean

Buckeye and the only place to find the Hall’s Sulphurs. The Buckeyes were very

plentiful there and very scarce in the other locations. The Great Southern White and the

Cloudless Sulphur were very numerous all over the plantation and from what I have

observed by traveling over the island, they occur in all types of habitat. The Straight-line

Sulphur and the Bubastus Hairstreak (both found on the trail) were rare occurrences

throughout the plantation, as was the Lesser Whirlabout. I saw many butterflies between

the stream house and the veranda, but I was unable to identify them because it was not

possible to catch them because of the terrain.

References Field guide to the butterflies of Dominica put together by Dean Leathers. 2001 Stiling, Peter D. 1986. Butterflies and Other Insects of the Eastern Caribbean. pp. 51-79

Lycaenidae

M F M F Allosmaitia coelebs Allosmaitia piplea St Peter’s Hairstreak Godman’s Hairstreak

M F M F Chlorostrymon simaethis Chlorostrymon maesites St Christopher’s Hairstreak Clench’s Hairstreak

M F M F Strymon bubastus Strymon columella

Bubastus Hairstreak Hewitson’s Hairstreak

M F M F Strymon acis Electrostrymon angerona Drury’s Hairstreak Bronze Hairstreak

Lycaenidae continued

M F M F Electrostrymon dominicana Leptotes cassius Dominican Hairstreak Cassius Blue

M F Hemiargus hanno Hanno Blue Danaidae

M Danaus plexippus The Monarch Libytheidae

M Libytheana fulvescens Dominican Snout Butterfly

Pieridae

M F M F Ascia monuste Appias drusilla Great Southern White Florida White

M F M F Eurema leuce Eurema venuste Hall’s Sulphur Little Yellow

M (dry season form) F M (wet season form) F Eurema daira Eurema daira Barred Sulphur Barred Sulphur

M F M F Eurema elathea Eurema lisa False Barred Sulphur Little Sulphur

M F M F Phoebis agarithe Phoebis sennae Large Orange Sulphur Cloudless Sulphur

Pieridae continued

M F M F Aphrissa statira Phoebis trite Migrant Sulphur Straight-line Sulphur Nymphalidae

M M Anaea troglodyta Memphis dominicana The Troglodyte Godman’s Leaf Butterfly

M M Marpesia petreus Historis odius Southern Dagger Tail Orion

F M F Mestra cana Hypolimnas misippus St Lucia Mestra The Mimic

Nymphalidae continued

M M Anartia jatrophae Biblis hyperia White Peacock The Red Rim

M M Junonia evarete Vanessa cardui Caribbean Buckeye Painted Lady Heliconiidae

M M Heliconius charitonius Dryas iulia The Zebra The Flambeau

M M Dione juno Dione vanillae Silver Spot Gulf Fritillary

Hesperiidae

M M M Proteides mercurius Epargyreus zestos Polygonus leo Mercury Skipper Zestos Skipper Hammock Skipper

M M M Polygonus manueli Urbanus proteus Astraptes anaphus Manuel’s Skipper Common Long-tail Skipper Roy’s Skipper

M M M Urbanus obscurus Achlyodes thraso Pyrgus oileus Stub-tailed Skipper Jung’s Dusky Wing Tropical Chequered Skipper

M F M Ephyriades brunnea Polites dictynna Jamaican Dusky Wing Lesser Whirlabout

Hesperiidae continued

M M F Wallengrenia otho Hylephila phylaeus Broken Dash Skipper Fiery Skipper

M F M Ephyriades arcas Calpodes ethlius Hairy Dusky Wing The Canna Skipper

M M Panoquina sylvicola Nyctelius nyctelius Sugar Cane Skipper Nyctelius Skipper Papilionidae

F Battus polydamas dominicus Polydamas Swallowtail

Field Guide: Butterflies of Dominica