Trinidad & Tobago

April 1992

trip report by Adrian Hoskins

I had dreamt since childhood of visiting a tropical rainforest, but it had always seemed an impossible dream. However in 1992 I decided to plough all my savings into fulfilling the dream. I had seen the Asa Wright Nature Centre advertised as the perfect place for an introduction to the rainforest, and hoped that the trip might allow me to see a few rainforest butterflies, but really had very little idea of what to expect.

My first 5 days were based at the Asa Wright Nature Centre, in the Arima valley located in the Northern Range mountains. Early on the first morning a guide knocked on the door and told me that he would take me on a guided tour of the trails. After the introductory tour I decided that I would prefer to continue my exploration of the area alone. The entire trail system could easily be walked in a couple of hours.

Even though this trip took place 15 years ago, I still vividly remember standing alone in the rainforest, surrounded by the haunting siren wail of cicadas, a sound which seemed to be initiated by slight increases in temperature, and began as the “crick-crick” of a single cicada, and then swept in a wave across the forest, rising in frequency and volume over a period of 2 or 3 minutes, and then quickly fading. Sometimes the sound of the cicadas, and of the thousands of tiny frogs was almost deafening.

The gorgeous gurgling call of oropendola birds was one of the most characteristic and beautiful sounds of the rainforest. Also very characteristic was the omnipresent and far from unpleasant smell of rotting fruit and fungi. The birdlife was truly wonderful – hummingbirds hovered just inches away as they fed from feeders on the nature centre verandah.

Beautiful tanagers, kiskadees, motmots, jacamars and honeycreepers were seen regularly, and deep in the forest I heard the strange ringing call of bell birds. Further memories were provided by the appearance of a huge monitor lizard which periodically strolled across the garden, and by the gorgeous views across the rainforest clad mountains of the Northern Range.

Early one morning as I departed in a minibus for a bird-watching field trip, an Owl butterfly Caligo brasiliensis flew past the vehicle. I begged the driver to stop, and managed to fall into a ditch as I scrambled excitedly out of the vehicle to find the butterfly. I spotted it at rest on a tree trunk, and fully expected it to fly off as I approached, but luckily it stayed long enough for a photograph.

The holiday was a wonderful introduction to neotropical Lepidoptera. As well as the fabulous Caligo, I had my first sightings of the huge dazzling blue Morpho helenor, which were glimpsed periodically as they patrolled along water courses. Fascinating Glasswings Ithomia agnosia enticed me away from the security of the trails into the undergrowth, where imaginary snakes waited to pounce. Mosaic butterflies Colobura dirce, sat on tree trunks, and surprised me when they scuttled squirrel-like around to the other side of the tree when approached.

More amusement was provided by the cheeky Arawacus aetolus, a zebra-striped Lycaenid which sat motionless until I pointed my camera at it, whereupon it slowly but very deliberately rotated to present me with a view of it’s posterior !

Other favourites included the stunning red back and white Coolies, Anartia amathea; the fabulous Red Daggerwing Marpesia petreus, with its beautiful deeply sculpted wings; and pretty black and red Postman butterflies Heliconius erato which fluttered around flowers as if suspended by an invisible thread.

Another very appealing species was a gorgeous skipper, with chocolate wings fringed with gold; and bright carmine red legs and eyes. This was a species which took 10 years to identify ! The illustrations in Lewis and Seitz are very poor, but I eventually concluded that it was probably Orses cynisca, and this was later confirmed via e-mail by Andy Warren, the neotropical skipper expert from Carnegie Museum in USA.

The most fascinating species of all was a wonderful little moth, with the most amazing dead-leaf camouflage. I spotted it out of the corner of my eye as I was photographing a Parides Cattle Heart. At first I thought it was a dead leaf, with a spider positioned symmetrically upon it, but closer examination revealed that the “dead leaf” was the wings of a moth, and the “spider” was it’s body and legs. It adopted an extremely odd posture, with it’s body, legs and outstretched wings held in a vertical plane, and had a strange mesmerising effect on me as I watched it.

I gave it the nickname “Sit on it’s bum moth”. For many years I was completely mystified by the insect, but it was was finally identified 10 years later by Mike Shaffer of the Natural History Museum, as Siculodes aurorula, a member of the Thyrididae. My specimen was the first ever recorded in Trinidad.

image 9 - Learn Butterflies — Trinidad & Tobago 2

Day trips from Asa Wright included a boat trip in Caroni Swamp where I saw mudskippers, and flocks of scarlet ibis and white egrets alighting on the distant mangroves as the sun set. Trips to an abandoned USA airbase Wallerfield and to Aripo savannah produced a few additional species, but I was always glad to return and spend as much time as possible at the Asa Wright Centre.

After leaving Trinidad, I flew to Tobago for 4 days based at Arnos Vale on the north coast of the island. Each morning I was awoken by the very raucous calls of dozens of parrots. The hotel grounds had dozens of large crabs scuttling about all over the place.

Flowering bushes attracted passing Phoebis Sulphurs, but butterflies on Tobago were always scarce. A short walk away from the hotel however was a patch of farmland with a small stream. There I had my first ever sightings of the Monarch Danaus plexippus.

Day-trips included a very scenic round-the-island car tour, seeing beautiful beaches, and villages with fascinating little wooden stilt houses; and various walks through coastal hillside forests and the lovely Louis d’Or valley.

Species listAll species listed below were identified by Adrian Hoskins using the d’Abrera volumes, Lewis, Smart, DeVries etc. Nomenclature follows Lamas, 2003.

Site	Family	sub-family	Genus	species
Asa Wright	Hesperiidae	Hesperiinae	Apaustus	gracilis
Asa Wright	Hesperiidae	Hesperiinae	Callimormus	alsimo
Asa Wright	Hesperiidae	Hesperiinae	Calpodes	ethlius
Asa Wright	Hesperiidae	Hesperiinae	Eprius	veleda
Asa Wright	Hesperiidae	Hesperiinae	Hylephila	phylaeus
Asa Wright	Hesperiidae	Hesperiinae	Orses	cynisca
Asa Wright	Hesperiidae	Hesperiinae	Polites	vibex
Asa Wright	Hesperiidae	Hesperiinae	Pompeius	pompeius
Asa Wright	Hesperiidae	Hesperiinae	Saliana	triangularis
Asa Wright	Hesperiidae	Hesperiinae	Talides	sergestus
Asa Wright	Hesperiidae	Hesperiinae	Vehilius	inca
Asa Wright	Hesperiidae	Pyrginae	Aguna	albistria
Asa Wright	Hesperiidae	Pyrginae	Astraptes	fulgerator
Asa Wright	Hesperiidae	Pyrginae	Autochton	itylus
Asa Wright	Hesperiidae	Pyrginae	Autochton	neis
Asa Wright	Hesperiidae	Pyrginae	Bolla	cupreiceps
Asa Wright	Hesperiidae	Pyrginae	Chioides	catillus
Asa Wright	Hesperiidae	Pyrginae	Gesta	gesta
Asa Wright	Hesperiidae	Pyrginae	Heliopetes	petrus
Asa Wright	Hesperiidae	Pyrginae	Nisoniades	bessus
Asa Wright	Hesperiidae	Pyrginae	Phanus	vitreus
Asa Wright	Hesperiidae	Pyrginae	Pyrgus	oileus
Asa Wright	Hesperiidae	Pyrginae	Quadrus	cerialis
Asa Wright	Hesperiidae	Pyrginae	Staphylus	ceos
Asa Wright	Hesperiidae	Pyrginae	Urbanus	dorantes
Asa Wright	Hesperiidae	Pyrginae	Urbanus	proteus
Asa Wright	Hesperiidae	Pyrginae	Urbanus	simplicius
Asa Wright	Hesperiidae	Pyrginae	Urbanus	teleus
Asa Wright	Lycaenidae	Polyommatinae	Cupido	comyntas
Asa Wright	Lycaenidae	Polyommatinae	Hemiargus	hanno
Asa Wright	Lycaenidae	Polyommatinae	Leptotes	cassius
Asa Wright	Lycaenidae	Theclinae	Arawacus	aetolus
Asa Wright	Lycaenidae	Theclinae	Calycopis	isobeon
Asa Wright	Lycaenidae	Theclinae	Electrostrymon	endymion
Louis d’Or valley	Lycaenidae	Theclinae	Pseudolycaena	marsyas
Asa Wright	Lycaenidae	Theclinae	Siderus	leucophaeus
Asa Wright	Lycaenidae	Theclinae	Strymon	albata
Asa Wright	Lycaenidae	Theclinae	Strymon	megarus
Asa Wright	Nymphalidae	Biblidinae	Biblis	hyperia
Asa Wright	Nymphalidae	Biblidinae	Callicore	astarte
Asa Wright	Nymphalidae	Biblidinae	Diaethria	clymena
Asa Wright	Nymphalidae	Biblidinae	Dynamine	theseus
Asa Wright	Nymphalidae	Biblidinae	Hamadryas	laodamia
Asa Wright	Nymphalidae	Biblidinae	Marpesia	petreus
Asa Wright	Nymphalidae	Biblidinae	Mestra	dorcas
Arnos Vale	Nymphalidae	Danainae	Danaus	plexippus
Asa Wright	Nymphalidae	Heliconiinae	Agraulis	vanillae
Asa Wright	Nymphalidae	Heliconiinae	Dryas	iulia
Louis d’Or valley	Nymphalidae	Heliconiinae	Eueides	aliphera
Asa Wright	Nymphalidae	Heliconiinae	Heliconius	charithonia
Asa Wright	Nymphalidae	Heliconiinae	Heliconius	erato
Asa Wright	Nymphalidae	Heliconiinae	Heliconius	ricini
Asa Wright	Nymphalidae	Heliconiinae	Heliconius	sara
Asa Wright	Nymphalidae	Heliconiinae	Laparus	doris
Asa Wright	Nymphalidae	Ithomiinae	Greta	andromica
Asa Wright	Nymphalidae	Ithomiinae	Ithomia	agnosia
Asa Wright	Nymphalidae	Ithomiinae	Mechanitis	lysimnia
Asa Wright	Nymphalidae	Ithomiinae	Mechanitis	polymnia
Asa Wright	Nymphalidae	Ithomiinae	Melinaea	lilis
Asa Wright	Nymphalidae	Limenitidinae	Adelpha	cytherea
Asa Wright	Nymphalidae	Limenitidinae	Adelpha	iphiclus
Asa Wright	Nymphalidae	Limenitidinae	Adelpha	plesaure
Asa Wright	Nymphalidae	Morphinae	Caligo	brasiliensis
Asa Wright	Nymphalidae	Morphinae	Morpho	helenor
Louis d’Or valley	Nymphalidae	Nymphalinae	Anartia	amathea
Asa Wright	Nymphalidae	Nymphalinae	Anartia	amathea
Asa Wright	Nymphalidae	Nymphalinae	Anartia	jatrophae
Asa Wright	Nymphalidae	Nymphalinae	Colobura	dirce
Asa Wright	Nymphalidae	Nymphalinae	Hypanartia	lethe
Asa Wright	Nymphalidae	Nymphalinae	Janatella	leucodesma
Asa Wright	Nymphalidae	Nymphalinae	Junonia	evarete
Asa Wright	Nymphalidae	Nymphalinae	Tegosa	anieta
Asa Wright	Nymphalidae	Satyrinae	Chloreuptychia	arnaca
Asa Wright	Nymphalidae	Satyrinae	Hermeuptychia	hermes
Asa Wright	Nymphalidae	Satyrinae	Magneuptychia	lea
Asa Wright	Nymphalidae	Satyrinae	Pareuptychia	ocirrhoe
Asa Wright	Nymphalidae	Satyrinae	Pierella	hyalinus
Asa Wright	Nymphalidae	Satyrinae	Posttaygetis	penelea
Asa Wright	Papilionidae	Papilioninae	Battus	polydamas
Asa Wright	Papilionidae	Papilioninae	Heraclides	thoas
Asa Wright	Papilionidae	Papilioninae	Parides	anchises
Asa Wright	Papilionidae	Papilioninae	Parides	neophilus
Asa Wright	Pieridae	Coliadinae	Eurema	albula
Asa Wright	Pieridae	Coliadinae	Eurema	arbela
Asa Wright	Pieridae	Coliadinae	Eurema	daira
Arnos Vale	Pieridae	Coliadinae	Phoebis	philea
Arnos Vale	Pieridae	Coliadinae	Phoebis	sennae
Asa Wright	Pieridae	Coliadinae	Pyrisitia	leuce
Asa Wright	Pieridae	Coliadinae	Pyrisitia	venusta
Asa Wright	Pieridae	Pierinae	Melete	lycimnia
Asa Wright	Riodinidae	Riodininae	Charis	anius
Arnos Vale	Riodinidae	Riodininae	Detritivora	hermodora
Asa Wright	Riodinidae	Riodininae	Isapis	agyrtus
Asa Wright	Riodinidae	Riodininae	Mesosemia	minos
Asa Wright	Riodinidae	Riodininae	Nymphidium	cachrus
Asa Wright	Riodinidae	Riodininae	Synargis	calyce

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