List of butterflies of Trinidad and Tobago
List of the butterfly species of Trinidad and Tobago, an island nation located in the Caribbean region off the northeast coast of South America.
The combined efforts of generations of resident and visiting naturalists have helped to make the butterfly fauna of Tobago well known. Some 129 species have been recorded on the island of Tobago that has a land area of only 300 km2 and is approximately 42 km long and 10 km wide.
This list follows Malcolm Barcant who is the main source of information on the butterflies of Tobago. His book is no longer in print, but used copies are available at booksellers. Barcant gives each species an English common name, but many of these were never taken up. Barcant's English name and the more widely accepted English name are given in the list below. Since 1970 many of the Latin names used by Barcant have also changed. The 2004 catalog of Lamas was used to update the taxonomy.
There is little data on the seasonal distribution or abundance of the listed butterflies. In general, butterflies are more abundant in the wet season. However, in the dry season, when most people visit, and especially if the dry season is a wet one, there are many whites/yellows on the wing. These are hard to identify without capture. Other butterflies commonly seen in the dry season in the south west of the island are the monarch butterfly, the white peacock, the brown peacock, the West Indian buckeye and the red rim. Away from the flat south west towards Arnos Vale, there are many other butterflies to be found, including skippers and blues and the blue tinted handkerchief. In the rain forest, on the main ridge, butterflies are quite scarce at this time of year.
Battus polydamas, black page or gold rimPapilio androgeus, Androgeus, queen page or queen swallowtailParides neophilus parianus, spear-winged cattleheart
[Pieridae], whites and yellows
Aphrissa statira, yellow migrantPhoebis sennae sennae, cloudless sulphurPhoebis argante, apricotPhoebis philea, orange-barred sulphurAnteos maerula, yellow angled sulphur or gonatryxPyrisitia proterpia, tailed orange or little jaune Eurema albula, ghost yellow or small whiteEurema venusta, little yellowEurema leuce, small yellowEurema elathea, small banded yellowEurema arbela, jagged-edged yellow Appias drusilla, pure whiteAscia monuste, cabbage white
Their taxonomy is currently being revised.
Taygetis echo, echo satyrTaygetis lachesEuptychia hesioneEuptychia mynceaEuptychia terrestrisHermeuptychia hermesEuptychia juniaEuptychia libyeCissia penelope, Penelope's satyrCissia palladia, Butler's satyr
Danaus plexippus, monarch butterfly
Pteronymia alissa, small rare blue transparent Ithomia pellucida, blue transparentHymenitis andromica, rare blue transparent
Heliconius melpomene tessa, postmanHeliconius erato tobagoensis, small postman or red postmanHeliconius ethilla, ethilia longwingEueides aliphera, small flambeau Eueides isabella, Isabella's heliconianDryas iulia, flambeau or Julia butterfly Agraulis vanillae, silver spotted flambeau or Gulf fritillary
Adelpha iphiclus, Iphiclus sister
Hypanartia lethe, orange admiralHypolimnas misippus, Danaid eggflyAnartia jatrophae jatrophae, white peacockAnartia amathea, scarlet peacockJunonia evarete evarete, West Indian buckeye
Dynamine theseus, blue tinted handkerchiefDynamine mylitta, large dynamineHamadryas februa, grey crackerMestra hypermestra, grey handkerchiefBiblis hyperia, red rimVanessa cardui, painted ladyMarpesia petreus, ruddy daggerwing or tailed flambeauHistoris odius, grape shoemakerDiaethria clymena, Cramer's eighty-eight
Archaeoprepona demophoon, silver king shoemaker Prepona laertes, purple king shoemaker
Morpho peleides, morpho butterfly
Caligo eurilochus, owl butterfly or forest blue mortCaligo teucer, owl butterfly or cocoa blue mort
Perophthalma tullius, grey nymphAnteros formosus, gold dropLymnas iarbas, underleaf Lymnas xarifa, orange-tipped underleafMesene phareus, red devilLasaia agesilas, shining blue lasaia or green lasaiaEmesis caeneus, black-speckled emesisEmesis progne, small brown emesisTheope eudocia, orange theopeTheope virgilius, cream theope or blue-based theopeSynargis calyce, blue transparentHymenitis andromica, variable lemmark or brown and cream nymula
Hemiargus hanno, common blueLeptotes cassius, Cassius blue, tropical striped blue or meadow blueStrymon faunalia Strymon bubastus Tmolus basalides,Ministrymon echion, four-spotted hairstreak or red-spotted hairstreak Calycopis beon Calycopis hesperitisCalycopis cypharaCalycopis sangalaCalycopis spurina, brick-spotted blueCalicopis calus, violet-tinted hairstreakChalybs herodotus, large green hairstreakChalybs simaethis, silver-banded hairstreakRekoa palegon, gold-bordered hairstreak or slated hairstreakRekoa zebina, Zebina hairstreak or double-spotted slate wing Pseudolycaena marsyas, Cambridge blue or giant hairstreak
Eudamus proteus, long-tailed skipperEudamus catillusEudamus dorantesEudamus simpliciusEudamus undalatusEudamus euryclesEudamus aminiasEudamus octomaculataPolites vibex praeceps, whirlaboutMysoria venezuelaePhanus marshalliCelaenorrhinus eligiusPellicia bessusPellicia bromiasHesperia syrichtusHylephila phyleus, fiery skipperMucia thyiaCalpodes ethliusPrenes nycteliusPrenes ocolaPrenes sylvicolaVacerra litanaNiconiades xanthaphesNiconiades gestaMnasitheus simplicissimusMegistias telataMegistias epiberusMegistias corticaCarystus fantasosCarystus phorcusCymaenes silius periclesEpius veledaCallimormus coradesCallimormus juventaThracides antoniusPerichares corydonOuleus fridericus, Fridericus spreadwingSystacea erosaLerodea tripunctataLerodea phocilidesRhinthon bistrigulaRhinthon cubana orca, orca skipperTalides sinonAtrytone periciaLerema parum punctataUrbanus procne, brown longtail
The moth butterflies were not recorded.