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| List: MassLep Date: Fri, 3 Apr 2026 13:16:27 -0400 From: 'Steve Mirick' via MassLep <masslep...> Subject: [MassLep] Cuba Trip Report - Butterflies and Odes |
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This is a multi-part message in MIME format. --------------9jKh3hJF2KWVEEgMeVq9C2Q4 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Jane and I traveled down to Cuba (yes Cuba!) for a 10-day birding trip=20 organized by Lisa Sorenson of BirdsCarribean. https://www.birdscaribbean.org/ Despite the difficult situation down there, the trip went flawlessly and=20 we got all of the "expected" endemic species of birds of Cuba. We had a=20 great time! https://ebird.org/tripreport/488831 As usual, I spent a lot of my time....while watching birds....also=20 watching for any insects I could photograph! Despite a (relative to Texas) lush appearance and a recent rainstorm=20 before our arrival, Cuba appeared to be in a drought situation with=20 water levels below normal.=C2=A0 I really don't have a good feel as to how= =20 dry it is, or is not, but some flood plains were dry as a bone. With the exception of mosquitoes at one location (perhaps due to recent=20 rains), insect numbers and diversity seemed very low although I'm=20 certainly not an authority.=C2=A0 Some fields of flowers seemingly devoid o= f=20 pollinators.=C2=A0 Perhaps because of time of year and lack of rain??=C2=A0= I=20 worked hard for what I was able to document.=C2=A0 I ended up with 53=20 photographs and 25 species of butterflies.=C2=A0 Assuming the ID's are=20 correct of course: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=3D6944&subview=3Dmap&taxo= n_id=3D47224&user_id=3Dstevemirick&verifiable=3Dany&view=3Dspecies Interesting species included: Cuban Calisto - Endemic to Cuba and the Bahamas.=C2=A0 Fairly common locall= y. Caribbean Ruby-Eye - One.=C2=A0 Not endemic, but generally not commonly=20 reported in iNat and most commonly in the Caribbean. Mercureal Skipper - One.=C2=A0 8th record in iNaturalist for Cuba. Proteides maysi - One.=C2=A0 Endemic to Cuba and only the 12th record in=20 iNaturalist. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/346626547 One other Lep of interest was Urania boisduvalii a species of day flying=20 moth.=C2=A0 These beautiful big moths were very common, flying around in th= e=20 morning and evenings, but we only saw it around Vinales in western=20 Cuba.=C2=A0 And they were very difficult to photograph as they rarely lande= d=20 and seemed to nectar high up in trees. Apparently, they're an endemic=20 species of Urania moth that migrates within Cuba.=C2=A0 The moth is able to= =20 metabolize poisons from its host plant (/Omphalea/ spp.) which provide=20 it with defense against predators in its adult form.=C2=A0 But apparently t= he=20 host plants can produce secondary metabolites as a defense against the=20 moth's larvae and this forces the adults to migrate. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/346892111 Odonates were also in short supply.=C2=A0 I only got 15 photos of 7 common= =20 species: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=3D6944&subview=3Dmap&taxo= n_id=3D47792&user_id=3Dstevemirick&verifiable=3Dany&view=3Dspecies Steve Mirick Bradford, MA --=20 You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "= MassLep" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an e= mail to masslep+<unsubscribe...> To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/masslep/a13= <e18cf-42b9-4d78-b4ed-5687f7cc1689...> --------------9jKh3hJF2KWVEEgMeVq9C2Q4 Content-Type: text/html; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <!DOCTYPE html> <html> <head> <meta http-equiv=3D"content-type" content=3D"text/html; charset=3DUTF-8= "> </head> <body> Jane and I traveled down to Cuba (yes Cuba!) for a 10-day birding trip organized by Lisa Sorenson of BirdsCarribean.<br> <br> <a class=3D"moz-txt-link-freetext" href=3D"https://www.birdscaribbean.o= rg/">https://www.birdscaribbean.org/</a><br> <br> Despite the difficult situation down there, the trip went flawlessly and we got all of the "expected" endemic species of birds of Cuba.=C2= =A0 We had a great time!<br> <br> <a class=3D"moz-txt-link-freetext" href=3D"https://ebird.org/tripreport= /488831">https://ebird.org/tripreport/488831</a><br> <br> As usual, I spent a lot of my time....while watching birds....also watching for any insects I could photograph!<br> <br> Despite a (relative to Texas) lush appearance and a recent rainstorm before our arrival, Cuba appeared to be in a drought situation with water levels below normal.=C2=A0 I really don't have a good feel as to how dry it is, or is not, but some flood plains were dry as a bone.<br> <br> With the exception of mosquitoes at one location (perhaps due to recent rains), insect numbers and diversity seemed very low although I'm certainly not an authority.=C2=A0 Some fields of flowers seemingly devoid of pollinators.=C2=A0 Perhaps because of time of year and lack o= f rain??=C2=A0 I worked hard for what I was able to document.=C2=A0 I end= ed up with 53 photographs and 25 species of butterflies.=C2=A0 Assuming the ID's are correct of course:<br> <br> <a class=3D"moz-txt-link-freetext" href=3D"https://www.inaturalist.org/obse= rvations?place_id=3D6944&subview=3Dmap&taxon_id=3D47224&user_id= =3Dstevemirick&verifiable=3Dany&view=3Dspecies">https://www.inatura= list.org/observations?place_id=3D6944&subview=3Dmap&taxon_id=3D4722= 4&user_id=3Dstevemirick&verifiable=3Dany&view=3Dspecies</a><br> <br> Interesting species included:<br> <br> Cuban Calisto - Endemic to Cuba and the Bahamas.=C2=A0 Fairly common locally.<br> Caribbean Ruby-Eye - One.=C2=A0 Not endemic, but generally not commonly reported in iNat and most commonly in the Caribbean.<br> Mercureal Skipper - One.=C2=A0 8th record in iNaturalist for Cuba.<br> Proteides maysi - One.=C2=A0 Endemic to Cuba and only the 12th record i= n iNaturalist.<br> <a class=3D"moz-txt-link-freetext" href=3D"https://www.inaturalist.org/= observations/346626547">https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/346626547<= /a><br> <br> One other Lep of interest was Urania boisduvalii a species of day flying moth.=C2=A0 These beautiful big moths were very common, flying around in the morning and evenings, but we only saw it around Vinales in western Cuba.=C2=A0 And they were very difficult to photogra= ph as they rarely landed and seemed to nectar high up in trees.=C2=A0 Apparently, they're an endemic species of Urania moth that migrates within Cuba.=C2=A0 The moth is able to metabolize poisons from its host plant (<i>Omphalea</i> spp.) which provide it with defense against predators in its adult form.=C2=A0 But apparently the host plants can produce secondary metabolites as a defense against the moth's larvae and this forces the adults to migrate.=C2=A0<br> <br> <a class=3D"moz-txt-link-freetext" href=3D"https://www.inaturalist.org/= observations/346892111">https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/346892111<= /a><br> <br> Odonates were also in short supply.=C2=A0 I only got 15 photos of 7 common species:<br> <br> <a class=3D"moz-txt-link-freetext" href=3D"https://www.inaturalist.org/obse= rvations?place_id=3D6944&subview=3Dmap&taxon_id=3D47792&user_id= =3Dstevemirick&verifiable=3Dany&view=3Dspecies">https://www.inatura= list.org/observations?place_id=3D6944&subview=3Dmap&taxon_id=3D4779= 2&user_id=3Dstevemirick&verifiable=3Dany&view=3Dspecies</a><br> <br> <br> Steve Mirick<br> Bradford, MA<br> <br> </body> </html> <p></p> -- <br /> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups &= quot;MassLep" group.<br /> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an e= mail to <a href=3D"mailto:masslep+<unsubscribe...>">masslep+uns= <ubscribe...></a>.<br /> To view this discussion visit <a href=3D"https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/= masslep/<a13e18cf-42b9-4d78-b4ed-5687f7cc1689...>?utm_medium=3Dema= il&utm_source=3Dfooter">https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/masslep/a13e18cf-= <42b9-4d78-b4ed-5687f7cc1689...></a>.<br /> --------------9jKh3hJF2KWVEEgMeVq9C2Q4-- |
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