Butterflies of Grand Cayman, a dynamic island fauna

Abstract

The butterflies of Grand Cayman, West Indies, have been surveyed in 1938, 1975 and 1985. Results of these surveys, together with information from other sources, are examined and it is shown that 46 species have been recorded, 8 of which are considered as vagrants and 38 as breeding species. Of the latter, 7 are believed to have become extinct and 6 are new colonists within the span of almost fifty years. The island can apparently support about 30 co-existing breeding species. These findings are discussed in terms of island biogeography theory. Grand Cayman data fit a species area regression for other West Indies islands very closely if only breeding species are considered.

Keywords :

• butterflies
• Grand Cayman
• West Indies
• island
• faunistics
• colonization
• extinction
• species area