The Dominican snout (''Libytheana fulvescens'') is a species of

snout butterfly The Libytheinae are a nymphalid subfamily known as snout butterflies, containing two valid genera and about ten species: six in ''Libythea'' and four in '' Libytheana''. The common name refers to the thick labial palps (pedipalps) that look like ...

that is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

Dominica Dominica ( or ; Kalinago: ; french: Dominique; Dominican Creole French: ), officially the Commonwealth of Dominica, is an island country in the Caribbean. The capital, Roseau, is located on the western side of the island. It is geographically ...

, an island nation in the

Caribbean The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...

Lesser Antilles The Lesser Antilles ( es, link=no, Antillas Menores; french: link=no, Petites Antilles; pap, Antias Menor; nl, Kleine Antillen) are a group of islands in the Caribbean Sea. Most of them are part of a long, partially volcanic island arc betwe ...

Taxonomy

It was first described in 1904, as ''Libythea fulvescens'', by

Percy Ireland Lathy Percy Ireland Lathy (1874 – 8 September 1943) was an English entomologist who specialised in butterflies. He was an acquaintance of James John Joicey and was associated with Joicey's Hill Museum in Witley, Surrey. Life and career Percy Ire ...

of the

Zoological Society of London The Zoological Society of London (ZSL) is a charity devoted to the worldwide conservation of animals and their habitats. It was founded in 1826. Since 1828, it has maintained the London Zoo, and since 1931 Whipsnade Park. History On 29 ...

. It was reassigned to the new genus ''

Libytheana ''Libytheana'' is a genus of nymphalid butterflies in the snout butterfly subfamily, Libytheinae. ''Libytheana carinenta'' is found in both North and South America and is known to be migratory. The other species in the genus are restricted to t ...

'' in 1943 by American entomologist

Charles D. Michener Charles Duncan Michener (September 22, 1918 – November 1, 2015) was an American entomologist born in Pasadena, California. He was a leading expert on bees, his ''magnum opus'' being ''The Bees of the World'' published in 2000. __TOC__ Biograp ...

, who split ''L. fulvescens'' and three other New World species from the Old World ''

Libythea ''Libythea'' is a widespread genus of nymphalid butterflies Butterflies are insects in the macrolepidopteran clade Rhopalocera from the order Lepidoptera, which also includes moths. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly coloured ...

'' species.

Habitat and distribution

The Dominican snout is rare, and locally distributed on Dominica in dry coastal forest and scrub, at such sites as

Cabrits National Park Cabrits National Park is on a peninsula at the north end of the Caribbean island of Dominica, north of Portsmouth. The park protects tropical forest, coral reefs and wetlands. There are hiking trails and an English garrison called Fort Shirley ( ...

, Morne Espagnole, and Morne Daniel.; .

Behavior and ecology

Its behavior has been described as similar to ''

Libytheana carinenta The American snout or common snout butterfly (''Libytheana carinenta'') is a member of the subfamily Libytheinae in the brush-footed butterfly family, Nymphalidae. This species is found in both North and South America. The larval host plants are ...

''.. Adults are active even in windy weather. It is not gregarious and probably does not migrate. Generations are unknown but likely, because adults are found at different times of the year, though more commonly in the fall than the spring. Its

host plant In biology and medicine, a host is a larger organism that harbours a smaller organism; whether a parasitic, a mutualistic, or a commensalist ''guest'' (symbiont). The guest is typically provided with nourishment and shelter. Examples include a ...

is possibly the iguana hackberry tree (''

Celtis iguanaea ''Celtis iguanaea'', commonly known as the iguana hackberry is a deciduous tree in the genus ''Celtis''. The species is found in the United States (Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Flo ...

'').. Adults have only been observed feeding on sap from wounded trees. It is preyed on by the

kingbird ''Tyrannus'' is a genus of small passerine birds of the tyrant flycatcher family native to the Americas. The majority are named as kingbirds. Description They prefer semi-open or open areas. These birds wait on an exposed perch and then catch i ...

Notes

References

*. *.

External links

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q1950157 Lepidoptera of the Caribbean Libytheana Butterflies described in 1904 Endemic fauna of Dominica