Some of you have asked questions about the butterflies on Bonaire. Jerry Ligon was kind enough to send me this list (not his) of the possible butterflies you might see here.


The Butterfly Fauna of Curacao, West Indies: 1996 Status and Long-Term Species Turnover
O. Debrot, J. Y Miller, L. D. Miller, and B. T. Leysner
Caribbean Journal of Science, Vol. 35, No 3-4, 184-194, 1999
Copyright 1999 College of Arts and Sciences
University of Puerto Rico, Mayaquez
Danaidae
1. Danaus plexippus A MONARCH
2. D. eresimus eresimus U TROPIC QUEEN
Ithomiidae
3. Mechanitis polymnia doryssus R
Nymphalidae
4. Historis acheronta a. R CADMAS
5.Hamadryas feronia A CALICO
6. Dynamine mylitta R MYLITTA GREENWING
7. Eunica monima R DINGY PURPLEWING
8. Hypolimnas misippus U MIMIC
9. Junonia genoveva C BUCKEYE
10. J. evarete zonalis R WEST INDIES BUCKEYE
11. Anartia jatrophe j. U WHITE PEACOCK (dos pos 8 aug 2000)
12. Chlosyne saundersii R SANDER’S PATCH
13. Vanessa cardui R PAINTED LADY
Heliconiidae
14. Dryas iulia alicionea C JULIA or Flambeau
15. Agraulis vanillae v. A
16. Heliconius erato hydara R CRIMSON-PATCH LONGWING
Lycaenidae
17. Chlorostrymon simaethis s. R SILVER-BANDED HAIRSTREAK
18. C. telea C TELEA HAIRSTREAK
19. Ministrymon azia C ? HAIRSTREAK
20. M. nr. Maevia C ? HAIRSTREAK
21. Electrostrymon nubes C NUBES HAIRSTREAK
22. Strymon nr. Basilides R BASILIDES HAIRSTREAK
23 S. bubastus b. A BUBASTUS HAIRSTREAK
24. Leptotes cassius c. A CASSIUS BLUE
25. Brephidium exilis ssp. C PYGMY BLUE
26. Hemiargus hanno h. A HANNO BLUE
27. Cyclargus huntingtoni K ??
Pieridae
28. Appias drusilla d. U FLORIDA WHITE
29. Ascia monuste m. A GREAT SOUTHERN WHITE
30. Ganyra tiburtia R
G. josephina GIANT WHITE
31. Eurema elathea C
32. E. gratiosa R
33. E. lisa euterpe A LITTLE YELLOW
34. Kricogonia lyside A GUAYACAN SULPHUR
35. Zerene cesonia helena R DOGFACE BUTTERFLY
36. Anteos maerula A YELLOW ANGLED SULPHUR
37. Phoebis argante a. R APRICOT SULPHUR
38. P. agarithe U ORANGE GIANT BUTTERFLY
39. P. sennae s. A CLOUDLESS GIANT SULPHUR
Hesperiidae
40. Chioides catillus c. R WHITE-STRIPED LONGTAIL
41. Urbanus dorantes d. A LILAC-BANDED LONGTAIL
42. Polythrix octomaculatus decussata R
43. Gesta gesta A BLUE-BANDED SKIPPER
44. Chiomara asuchis a. R WHITE PATCH
45. Zopyrion satyrina A
46. Pyrgus adepta A ? SKIPPER
47. Heliopetes domicella d. C ? WHITE SKIPPER
48. Cymaenes tripunctus theogenis R
49. Hylephila phyleus p. A
50. Atalopedes clarkei R CLARK’S SKIPPER
51. Leroda eufala A EUFALA SKIPPER
52. Pyrrhopygopsis Socrates orasus R
53. Panoquina panoquinoides p. U OBSCURE SKIPPER
Symbols:
A= abundant
C= common
K= unknown
R= rare
U= uncommon

Jerry Ligon sent me this photo of a Crimson Patched Longwing which you can see from the list is rare on the islands ( Bonaire and Curacao). Here is his text accompanying the photo...

This is a photo that I took of a butterfly that I found in only one little spot on the island this time last year when we had more moisture. This year the Crimson-patched Longwing has not emerged from their chrysalis' because it is too dry, I suppose. We don't really know much about them except they lay eggs only on passion flower, which imparts poisonous chemicals in them and their beautiful crimson-patch acts as a warning to bird predators (like monarchs, which eat milkweed for the same reason).(2-23-01)

Thanks, Ellen, for the postings, and photo. I think I'll print the list and bring it with me to Bonaire, for reference.

Michelle

thank you ellen and jerry, very nice and interesting.

Ellen,

Are the Monarchs on Bonaire year round or do they
winter there? If the former, what do they feed on? If the
latter, where are they from?

Glen, that sounded like a good question for Jerry and here is his answer...

Monarch Butterflies live here year-round with no need to migrate, as do all the butterflies here. But to get here, from Venezuela most likely, most butterflies do have to undergo a migration across the ocean. The monarch female only lays her eggs on a single family of plants, Milkweed-Asclepiadacea. The poisonous alkaloids in the plant is transferred to the butterfly and is quite disagreeable to birds who feed on butterflies.
It acts as an emetic and the birds learn quickly not to mess with this color of butterfly or any that look like it, like the non-poisonous Viceroy.

I just love diving with Jerry when I am there, he is such well spring of information.

Glen. I can't personally swear for each and every one but at the southernmost point of Ontario, Point Pelee, is a National or Provincial Park where friends of Monarchs gather to see them off. Every shrub,branch and twig is covered with them. We're reminded to leave milkweed plants for them. After they rest at Point Pelee, they head for Mexico, Costa Rica and I think Venezuela. They have suffered dreadful ravages from unexpected cold in Mexico, a couple of times in the past 8 years. And I think we're trying to work out some habitat arrangemnt with host counties.Some way to help both people and butterflies.

Kerri & Ellen,

Monarchs also migrate through Cape Cod and CT
annually on the way somewhere south for the winter;
the only wintering place I had heard of is in Mexico. And
the catepillars feed here and in Michigan on milkweed. I
had not noticed milkweed on Bonaire so was curious if
they breed there.

'..to get here...migrate across the ocean.' 'In the
beginning...' or annually or..??

Here are pictures of Yana's caterpillar



I don't have a picture of the butterfly because it was 6:30am when I found it ready to fly in the jar. I wasn't thinking quite yet.

They are found on the local version of milkweed. Doesn't look like the milkweed I'm use to in NH. It can get quite tall and woody. The leaves are sort of rounded heartshape about the size of my hand. They don't appear to have pods that I've seen. But they have the important stuff - milky, stick sap when you break a stem or leaf.

TKS, Linda.

Glen, I'm trying to find a reference. I think their sea voyage is annual. Why they do it is likely some sort of genetic imprinting,and like salmon for whatever reason swim upstream to their deaths to spawn. But no matter what anyone says, I was not on the Ark and never met Noah. So I'm gonna look it up if I can.Some how I think I remember that the adults make only 1 voyage.So they must breed twice? Or half stay here as chrysalis? I have trouble with birds and bees. Now you know everything I don't know about butterflies. Tks Yanna's Mom.

Linda - nice pictures of Yana's caterpillar! We were astonished by the size of Bonaire's milkweeds. We did see a seed pod - it was about the size of Travis's head! Kerri, in Wyoming, they make two journeys - one as a juvenile the fall they hatch, and they probably go to Mexico from here, and once again in the Spring when they come back to lay their eggs, after which they die, I think.

There was an article in the Miami Herald either Saturday or Friday's edition about the Monarch's in Mexico and their migration. The Miami Herald has on-line archives for 1 week if anybody is intereest in reading it.

Linda,

I have a feeling that the article is not online. I searched
with 'monarch butterflies', 'Mexico AND butterflies',
'monarch', and 'butterflies'.

'mb' and 'm & b' produced a goose-eggs, as did the
singulars. 'monarch' produced some visiting royalty.
'butterfly' and plural produced a 'record peacock
butterfly bass' caught, some butterfly gardens installed
and, of course, presidential ballots.

Nothing in the site map showed an interest in nature.
Oh, well. If you can make it work, good.

The Miami Herald seems to be a little backlogged. The issue was Saturday, March 17th but the archives does not have any articles since March 14. If it doesn't get fixed in the next day or two, I'll scan in the article for you to read.

No wonder Webster's getting paranoid. I thought it was him..he....oy!

Here is the scan of the article in PDF form.
http://www.bonairenature.com/monarchs.pdf

TKS, Linda, got it fine. Too much logging and other
cutting of green the world over. Lots of people.

Sorry,Linda. Apparently PDF is something else Webster doesn't do. Thks anyway.

Haze, do you have any reference on the ones that have ocean voyages? Don't know if I'm confabulating but for some reason I think I remember something about Monarchs sometimes landing on boats at sea. Is there something about 6000 mi. or 26000 mi down to Venezuela. My ref. books seems to have gone the way of my fish id book. Maybe a nature-loving thief? Naw, Likely my own disorganized mind.

Okay - really brief info about the article.
Monarchs living east of the Rockies winter in Cerro San Andres, Mexico area. The forest of Oyamel fir trees is getting smaller and smaller due to logging - legal and illegal. Estimate 10 million butterflies in a 2.5 acre area. They stay late November to late March. Monarchs west of the Rockies winter along the California coast in the same kind of fir trees. Mexico and WWF are trying to protect the forest.

The migration map showed only overland routes for the butterflies.

Thanks,Linda. Still can't find ocean travel myself so maybe I imagined it but here's a little bit I found. In 1996 Canada. U.S. and Mexico signed a treaty to protect the Monarch. On the Web, you can find some information on their take-off point at: Ontario Provincial Parks. Presqu'ile Provincial Park is where they gather to stuff on golden rod and New England Asters. Probably nobody ever offered them snickerdoodles and macadamia nut cookies. New England Asters don't sound bad. (no tomato with them, Glen). Gracias, Yanna's Mom.

A monarch butterfly who was enjoying Sorobon in May too:



(Niki's photo -- same morning stroll as the hummingbird, same flowering bush...)

Not bad for a 'not Bob's', (kidding...I'm just kidding.....More please, Nik......

OK, here's the milkweed people are describing above, I'm pretty sure.



(Photo by Niki)

I remember the Monarch butterflies of my youth in Massachusetts eating local milkweed. If you've seen those plants, look how different is the giant milkweed plant on Bonaire!

Is the butterfly farm open?? If so, does anyone have the location and hours and info? I will be on Bonaire for a week in Dec.
Thanks,
Lowe Johnston