List of butterflies of Dominica

Fifty-five species of butterflies have been officially recorded in Dominica, an island-nation in the Caribbean Lesser Antilles.

Two species are endemic to Dominica: the (Electrostrymon dominicana) and the Dominican snout (Libytheana fulvescens). An additional seven species are endemic to the Lesser Antilles: (Allosmaitia piplea), (Electrostrymon angerona), (Memphis dominicana), St Lucia mestra (Mestra cana), (Polites dictynna), broken dash skipper (Wallengrenia ophites), and the (Urbanus obscurus).

Hesperiidae - skippers[]

Subfamily Pyrginae[]

• Jung's dusky wing (Achlyodes mithridates)
• (Epargyreus zestos)
• (Ephyriades arcas)
• (Ephyriades brunnea)

Subfamily Eudaminae[]

• Roy's skipper (Astraptes anaphus)
• (Polygonus leo)
• (Polygonus manueli)
• (Proteides mercurius)
• (Urbanus obscurus) (Lesser Antillean endemic)
• Common long-tail skipper (Urbanus proteus)

Subfamily Hesperiinae[]

• Canna skipper (Calpodes ethlius)
• Fiery skipper (Hylephila phyleus)
• Nyctelius skipper (Nyctelius nyctelius)
• (Panoquina sylvicola)
• (Polites dictynna) (Lesser Antillean endemic)
• Tropical chequered skipper (Pyrgus oileus)
• Broken dash skipper (Wallengrenia ophites) (Lesser Antillean endemic)

Libytheidae - snout butterflies[]

Subfamily Libytheinae[]

• Dominican snout (Libytheana fulvescens) (Dominican endemic)

Lycaenidae - blues and hairstreaks[]

Subfamily Theclinae[]

• (Allosmaitia coelebs)
• (Allosmaitia piplea) (Lesser Antillean endemic)
• (Chlorostrymon maesites)
• St. Christopher's hairstreak (Chlorostrymon simaethis)
• (Electrostrymon angerona) (Lesser Antillean endemic)
• (Electrostrymon dominicana) (Dominican endemic)
• (Strymon acis)
• Bubastus hairstreak (Strymon bubastus)
• Hewitson's hairstreak (Strymon columella)

Subfamily Polyommatinae[]

• Hanno blue (Hemiargus hanno)
• Cassius blue (Leptotes cassius)

Nymphalidae - fritillaries[]

Subfamily Charaxinae[]

• (Memphis dominicana) (Lesser Antillean endemic)

Subfamily Cyrestinae[]

• Southern dagger tail (Marpesia petreus)

Subfamily Danainae[]

• Monarch (Danaus plexippus)

Subfamily Heliconiinae[]

• Gulf fritillary (Agraulis vanillae)
• (Dione juno)
• Julia butterfly (Dryas iulia)
• Zebra butterfly (Heliconius charithonia)

Subfamily Limenitidinae[]

• Red rim (Biblis hyperia)
• Orion cecropian (Historis odius)
• St Lucia mestra (Mestra cana) (Lesser Antillean endemic)

Subfamily Nymphalinae[]

• White peacock (Anartia jatrophae)
• Mimic (Hypolimnas misippus)
• Caribbean buckeye (Junonia evarete)
• Painted lady (Vanessa cardui)

Papilionidae - swallowtails[]

Subfamily Papilioninae[]

• Polydamas swallowtail (Battus polydamas)

Pieridae - whites and sulphurs[]

Subfamily Pierinae[]

• Migrant sulphur (Aphrissa statira)
• Florida white (Appias drusilla)
• Great southern white (Ascia monuste)

Subfamily Coliadinae[]

• Barred sulphur (Eurema daira)
• (Eurema elathea)
• Hall's sulphur (Eurema leuce)
• Little sulphur (Eurema lisa)
• (Eurema venusta)
• Large orange sulphur (Phoebis agarithe)
• Cloudless sulphur (Phoebis sennae)
• Straight-line sulphur (Rhabdodryas trite or Phoebis trite)

Disputed and unconfirmed[]

• Florida leafwing (Anaea troglodyta.) Evans & James (1997) considered the record of this species questionable.
• Unidentified Heliconius sp., noted by Evans & James (1997) to have been sighted on two occasions at the edge of dry forest.

References[]