Butterflies from the island of Nevis, April 2022

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Since 2020 this is our first visit to Nevis, Leeward Islands, West Indies, and we are staying at Oualie Beach Resort for four weeks, essentially the whole of the month of April. The hotel grounds are semi-wild and they support quite a lot of nature. We have been here almost three weeks so far, so with luck there is still time to see more species before we have to leave.

I did very well with the butterflies, and I managed to find several that I have never seen before at all, i.e. "lifers". The lifers are listed here with the common name in italics and slightly indented with two periods beginning the line.

Here is a list of the 18 species of butterflies which I have observed so far during this visit in April 2022. This list does not include any of the moths that I have seen. I ended up making a separate journal entry with a list for moths.
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Eighteen butterfly species seen in April 2022:
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Great Southern White -- really large numbers of these, as usual.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/111767850

Cloudless Sulphur -- several of these, as usual, but they are very tough to photograph as it seems that they usually won't ever sit still.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/112427165

Little Yellow, lots of these in the grazing areas. Some are more yellow than others -- some look almost all-white on the topside.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/111093496

Monarch, every so often I see an adult, and I also found several larvae. One iNat person thought the larvae were of the Southern Monarch, but I think that species only lives in South America?
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/110395577
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/111337578

Gulf Fritillary -- at the Rest Haven ruins north of Charlestown I saw several of these flying around, but I was not able to get any photos. This image is from 2019:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/21910918

.. Long-tail Skipper -- a new species for me, very cool, and nectaring on Bermuda Rose, right outside our hotel room. April 5th, LIFER
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/110499855

.. Hammock Skipper -- also very cool and a new species for me, also nectaring on Bermuda Rose, right outside our hotel room. April 12th, LIFER
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/111238475

Monk Skipper -- two so far this visit. This photo from 2019:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/22324117

.. Dictynna Skipper -- saw this same species of small orange skipper twice.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/113018541 April , LIFER

Cramer's Scrub-Hairstreak -- three of these.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/110979578

.. Columella Scrub-Hairstreak -- one only so far, new to me. April 10th, LIFER
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/110965223

.. Angerona Hairstreak -- one only so far, new to me. Not many iNat records. April 9th, LIFER
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/110839044

Miami Blue -- found once before in 2019.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/110507313

Hanno Blue -- found once before in 2018.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/111697753

Cassius Blue -- found once before in 2018.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/112305448

White Peacock -- found once before in 2018. This photo from Sanibel, Florida.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/76784179

Northern Tropical Buckeye --found once before in 2020.
This photo from 2020.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/40669014

Tropical Checkered-Skipper -- found once before in 2020
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/112423405

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Here are six other butterfly species that I have observed on Nevis in previous years. They were all new to me (lifers) at the time I saw them:

Banded yellow -- in 2018.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/11392414

Red Rim -- in 2018, and fairly far up the mountain.
No photo of this species as yet.

Fiery Skipper -- 2019
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/21321379

Caribbean Scrub-Hairstreak-- 2019 on Majors Bay in St. Kitts
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/104665690

Florida Leafwing -- 2019
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/21498942

Fiery Broken-Dash -- 2018
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/11772443
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As time goes by (we leave St. Kitts & Nevis on April 30th), I may be able to add species to both of these two lists.

NOTE: If you look at my observations, you will see that some of the butterflies are photographed on flowers or otherwise in situ. Others were captured in a BioQuip child's butterfly net, then they were chilled until they were torpid, photographed, allowed to warm up, and then released to fly away.

Posted on April 13, 2022 04:55 PM by susanhewitt