Butterflies and
Lepidopterists
There are over 133 species and subspecies
of butterflies in Jamaica, 31 of which are endemic.
The most famous is the
Papilio homerus
The biggest swallow-tail butterfly
in the world. The butterfly is found at the lower elevations
of the Blue Mountains especially in St Thomas and Portland,
in the Cockpit country of Trelawny and St Elizabeth.
It was first noted in Jamaica in 1793. You can read
more about "Papilio Homerus",in an article
by D.J.R. Walker, in Natural History Notes of the Natural
History Society of Jamaica, nos 22,23 (combined), p.164.
Another species which is also found in Jamaica is
Graphium marcellinus
Also known as the Jamaican Kite Swallowtail,
this butterfly was first observed by lepidopterists
in 1725 but catalogued in 1845. The species has been
observed most often in St Andrew, but it appears sporadically
within weeks. Source: Brown FM, Heineman B. Jamaica
and its Butterflies. London: E W. Classey Ltd. 1972.
478 pp ISBN 0 900848 448
There hStretch been some native born Lepidopterists and
two hStretch had butterflies named for them.The first
is
E Stuart Panton
for whom the butterfly:
Atlantea pantoni
was named. He was born in Jamaica
in 1866 and lived until his death in 1962 at "Hopeton"
near Mandeville. He was educated in England and raised
livestock on his property. He had a wide interest in
natural history and was a member of the staff of the
Institute of Jamaica.
The second is Miss Lily Perkins
who discovered two butterflies new to science.
Miss Perkins lived at Lumsden, St Ann but it was during
the time her father was working in Trelawny and rented
Baron Hill house near Jackson Town when she discovered
Leptotes
perkinsae
also known as Miss Perkin's Blue. This butterfly was
first identified in 1931 and is partial to the flowers
of the Bull Hoof (Bauhinia divaricata) . It is found
all over Jamaica.
At Lumsden she collected a new species called
Phocides
lincea perkinsi
also named Miss Perkin's Skipper. It is found in St
James, Trelawny and St Ann. On a personal note Miss
Perkins used to teach my sister art in 1951 at St Hilda's
High School driving in to Brown's Town from the Bamboo
area. Her art was on exhibit in the Institute of Jamaica
the same year as my grandfather H.Q. Levy's She died
after 1971.
