Butterflies at Oualie on Nevis, April 2022

We could not visit Nevis last yearbecasue of extreme covid restrictions by KN,, so this is our first visit to Nevis since 2020. We are staying at Oualie Beach Resort, once again for four weeks for the fourth time. The hotel grounds are semi-wild, and they support quite a lot of nature. We have been here more than two weeks so far, so with luck there is still time (10 days) to see even more before we have to leave.

I did very well in the first two weeks with the butterflies, and managed to find several that I have never seen before at all, i.e. "lifers". Here is a list of the 15 species of butterflies which I have observed so far during this visit in April 2022, not including any of the moths that I have also seen.
.

15 butterfly species seen in April 2022
.

Great Southern White -- really large numbers of these, as usual

Cloudless Sulphur -- several of these, as usual, but they are very tough to photograph as it seems that they won't ever sit still. This photo from 2019.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/21925530

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. I saw several flying at the west end of the airport runway on Nevis also, but was unable to photograph any. This one 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. 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. LIFER
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/111238475

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

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

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

Angerona Hairstreak -- one only so far, new to me. 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.

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

.
8 other Butterfly species seen on Nevis in previous years
.

There are eight other butterfly species that I have observed on Nevis in previous years:

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

Red Rim -- in 2018, and fairly far up the mountain. Not able to get a photo.

Cassius Blue -- 2018
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/11333555

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

Caribbean Scrub-Hairstreak -- 2019 on Majors Bay in St. Kitts
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/22279943

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

Tropical Checkered-Skipper -- 2020
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/40537606

Fiery Broken-Dash -- 2018
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/11772443
.

Before we leave St. Kitts & Nevis on April 30th, I will update these two lists as necessary.

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 size butterfly net, then they were chilled until torpid, photographed, allowed to warm up, and then released to fly away.

Posted on 16 de abril de 2022 by susanhewitt