Notes on Butterflies Seen or Collected on a Short Visit to Nevis, W.I., Including the Life History of Epargyreus zestos Geyer (Hesperiidae)

Abstract

Since nothing has been hitherto recorded about the butterflies of the Caribbean island of Nevis, these observations are of interest. Food plants, descriptions and illustrations are given of the early stages of the hesperiids Epargyreus zestos Geyer, Urbanus proteus domingo Scudder, Pyrgus oileus Linnaeus, Calpodes ethlius Stoll, Panoquina sylvicola woodruffi F.E. Watson and Nyctelius nyctelius Fabricius. Epargyreus zestos is compared with the closely related E. cfarus Cramer, and the other species are compared with the Trinidad fauna and published descriptions. Records of a further 17 butterfly species are listed.