The Mauritius butterfly
fauna presents huge interest because there are 10 nearly extinct,
extinct and casual that can be seen by visitors. About 35 species of
Mauritius butterfly are on the checklist, with 25 being common. Because
of the island’s oceanic origin, small size as well as the distance from
the closest potential introduction source, the Mauritius butterfly fauna
is limited. In 1989, 37 species were recorded on island, 10 of them
being non-resident, rare or extinct.
The rest of them are seen as
common widespread to specific habitats. Of these 37 Mauritius butterfly
species, 22 can be seen in Africa and other places, 7 can be seen in
Mauritius and on the rest of the Mascarene Islands and 8 are restricted
to the Indian Ocean’s Western islands.
From the
Mauritius butterfly endemic species we mention
Libythea cinyras Trimen, which is extinct, and
Salamis Augustina Vinsoni Le Cerf and Antanartia
Borbonica Mauritiana Maders, two endemic subspecies
considered to be in danger. The first mentioned one
is also known as the Mauritius Mother of Pearl
Butterfly. The endemic species living on the
Mauritius neighbouring died out according to the
last sources, the Obetia Ficifolia (Wood Nettle)
larval host plants disappearing from Mauritius.
Among the Mauritius butterfly species we mention:
Libythea Cinyras, Cyclyrius Mandersi (extinct one),
Neptis Frobenia, Amauris Phoedon and Papilio
Manlius. One of the Mauritius butterfly is Fabricius
(Catopsilia Fiorella), a migrant from Africa, seen
on the island’s South-West only between the Black
River Gorges National Park and La Preneuse’s
township. Some specimens were seen and photographed
on the Veronia Cinerea flowers close to the national
park’s boundary.
Trimen (Zizeeria
Knysa) is another Mauritius butterfly also known as
the African Grass Blue Z and seen also in the
Southern Europe and Africa. It can be seen on
Mauritius, Madagascar, Rodrigues, Reunion. On
Mauritius it was seen on the road connecting La
Preneuse to Black River Gorges National Park.
Another
Mauritius butterfly is Linnaeus (Leptotes Pirithous),
a small lycaenid common to this island.
You can
see it flying all the year and it was photographed
on the Veronia Cinerea flower on the Black River
Gorges National Park’s boundary. They were in a
group along with the Amaria Phoedon and Phalanta
Phalantha. The Leptomyrina Phidias Mauritius
butterfly was also seen at the River Gorges National
Park.
It was
photographed on the understorey plants’ foliage in
the lowland semi-natural forest. The butterfly is a
recent immigrant to the island, probably with the
succulent material from Madagascar or from the
Comoro Islands. The Mauritius butterfly breeds on
the Kalanchoe species, planted in the island’s
gardens. Petrelaea Reticulatum is a species
collected first by Thierry d’Unienville, in 1989, at
Saint Antoine. Established on Mauritius it breeds on
the Terminallia flower. They are often seen feeding
at this flower.
The
most recent Mauritius butterfly species that arrived on the island is the
Chilades Pandava (Cycad Blue), first recorded on the island in 2000, according
to the information offered by Owen Griffiths.
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