The butterflies of Turquino National Park, Sierra Maestra, Cuba (Lepidoptera, Papilionoidea)

Abstract

Between February and November 2011, we conducted a species inventory, created a natural history database and a made a first approach to the composition and structure of the butterfly communities present at several vegetation types in the Turquino National Park. The inventory included 83 species, 29 of them endemic. We recorded 57 species (18 endemic) in transects along main vegetation pathways. In disturbed vegetation, species richness was higher (48) and abundance was better distributed, but the proportion of endemism was lower (23%). Species richness decreased and the dominance and proportion of endemism increased with altitude. Numbers of species and the proportions of endemism at natural habitats sampled were: 19 and 58% for evergreen forest, 10 and 60% for rainforest, eight and 100% for cloud forest, and four and 100% for the elfin thicket. Flowers of 27 plants were recorded as nectar sources for 30 butterfly species, and host plants were recorded for nine species.

Keywords

• Communities
• Conservation
• Natural history
• Endemism
• Caribbean