List of butterflies of Dominica
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/03/Agraulis_vanillae_a3.jpg/250px-Agraulis_vanillae_a3.jpg)
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 Dominican hairstreak (Electrostrymon dominicana) and the Dominican snout (Libytheana fulvescens). An additional seven species are endemic to the Lesser Antilles: Godman's hairstreak (Allosmaitia piplea), bronze hairstreak (Electrostrymon angerona), Godman's leaf (Memphis dominicana), St Lucia mestra (Mestra cana), lesser whirlabout (Polites dictynna), broken dash skipper (Wallengrenia ophites), and the stub-tailed skipper (Urbanus obscurus).
Hesperiidae - skippers
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b7/Pyrgus_oileus_1.jpg/250px-Pyrgus_oileus_1.jpg)
Subfamily Pyrginae
- Jung's dusky wing (Achlyodes mithridates)
- Zestos skipper (Epargyreus zestos)
- Hairy dusky wing (Ephyriades arcas)
- Jamaican dusky wing (Ephyriades brunnea)
Subfamily Eudaminae
- Roy's skipper (Astraptes anaphus)
- Hammock skipper (Polygonus leo)
- Manuel's skipper (Polygonus manueli)
- Mercury skipper (Proteides mercurius)
- Stub-tailed skipper (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)
- Sugar cane skipper (Panoquina sylvicola)
- Lesser whirlabout (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
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4e/Silver-banded_Hairstreak_%28Chlorostrymon_simaethis%29.jpg/250px-Silver-banded_Hairstreak_%28Chlorostrymon_simaethis%29.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/54/Cassius_Blue_%28Leptotes_cassius%29.jpg/250px-Cassius_Blue_%28Leptotes_cassius%29.jpg)
Subfamily Theclinae
- St. Peter's hairstreak (Allosmaitia coelebs)
- Godman's hairstreak (Allosmaitia piplea) (Lesser Antillean endemic)
- Clench's hairstreak (Chlorostrymon maesites)
- St. Christopher's hairstreak (Chlorostrymon simaethis)
- Bronze hairstreak (Electrostrymon angerona) (Lesser Antillean endemic)
- Dominican hairstreak (Electrostrymon dominicana) (Dominican endemic)
- Drury's hairstreak (Strymon acis)
- Bubastus hairstreak (Strymon bubastus)
- Hewitson's hairstreak (Strymon columella)
Subfamily Polyommatinae
- Hanno blue (Hemiargus hanno)
- Cassius blue (Leptotes cassius)
Nymphalidae - fritillaries
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/16/Junonia_evarete_01.jpg/250px-Junonia_evarete_01.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/19/Anartia_jatrophae_%28white_peacock%29.jpg/250px-Anartia_jatrophae_%28white_peacock%29.jpg)
Subfamily Charaxinae
- Godman's leaf (Memphis dominicana) (Lesser Antillean endemic)
Subfamily Cyrestinae
- Southern dagger tail (Marpesia petreus)
Subfamily Danainae
- Monarch (Danaus plexippus)
Subfamily Heliconiinae
- Gulf fritillary (Agraulis vanillae)
- Silver spot (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
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/81/Battus_polydamas.jpg/250px-Battus_polydamas.jpg)
Subfamily Papilioninae
- Polydamas swallowtail (Battus polydamas)
Pieridae - whites and sulphurs
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Male_Cloudless_Sulphur%2C_Megan_McCarty97.jpg/250px-Male_Cloudless_Sulphur%2C_Megan_McCarty97.jpg)
Subfamily Pierinae
- Migrant sulphur (Aphrissa statira)
- Florida white (Appias drusilla)
- Great southern white (Ascia monuste)
Subfamily Coliadinae
- Barred sulphur (Eurema daira)
- False barred sulphur (Eurema elathea)
- Hall's sulphur (Eurema leuce)
- Little sulphur (Eurema lisa)
- Little yellow (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
- Evans, Peter G.H.; James, Arlington (1997), Dominica, Nature Island of the Caribbean: Wildlife Checklists, Dominica Ministry of Tourism, pp. 10–15