Caribbean Journal o.f Science, Vol. 27, No. 3-4, 130-138, 1991 Copyright 1991 College of Arts and Sciences University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez An Elevational Transect of Lepidoptera on Pico Turquino, Cuba 1 2 A LBERT S CHWARTZ AND S. BLAIR H EDGES 110000 S.W. 84 St., Miami, Florida 33173 2Department of Biology, 208 Mueller Lab, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802 ABSTRACT . – A vertical transect of Cuba’s highest peak, Pico Turquino in the Sierra Maestra, yielded 203 specimens of 37 species of butterflies. Data are given on the route taken up Pico Turquino, the butterflies taken at six stations at elevations from sea level (5 m) to 1974 m (top of Pico Turquino), and the abundance of each species. R ESUMEN. – Una transection vertical del pico mas alto de Cuba, Pico Turquino en la Sierra Maestra, produjo 203 ejemplares de 37 especies de mariposas diurnas. Presentamos dates sobre la ruts para subir Pico Turquino, las mariposas diurnas cogidas en seis localidades con elevaciones desde nivel del mar (5 m) hasta 1974 m (cima de Pico Turquino), y la abundancia de cada especie. I NTRODUCTION Collecting was carried out by the junior There have been two major works on the author and was secondary to the expedi- Lepidoptera of Cuba, Bates (1935a) and tion’s major objective—collecting herpe- Alayo and Hernandez (1987). The former tological specimens. Nevertheless, 37 spe- is a thorough treatment of the then-known cies of butterflies with a clear demarcation butterflies of that island; the latter is pri- of aptitudinal zonation were collected. In marily a photographic atlas of all Cuban addition to the route of the ascent detailed species of butterflies (and some showy di- below, we have included data from anoth- urnal moths) with rather brief accompa- er site, 2.8 km N Uvero, 137 m; this locality nying textual comments on each species. is on the southern flank of the Sierra Mae- Rarely, in both compendia, are precise ele- stra, about 30 km to the east. We have in- vational or locality data given for any spe- cluded it because it tends to fill in the ele- cies. vational gap between Las Cuevas (5 m) and Although Pico Turquino is the highest La Esmajagua (560 m). elevation in Cuba, it is much lower than The six localities where butterflies were the highest point in the Antilles (Pico collected are (see Fig. 1): 1. Las Cuevas, on Duarte at 3087 m in the Republica Domini- the coast, 5 m; 2. La Esmajagua, several ki- can). Pico Turquino is the highest point lometers to the north of Las Cuevas, 580 in the Sierra Maestra (1974 m), the range m; 3. Pico Cuba, 1720 m; 4. Pico Turquino, that parallels the southern coast of the 1974 m; 5. SW slope of Pico Turquino, 1100 southeastern portion of Cuba, formerly in m; 6. 2.8 km N Uvero, 137 m. All specimens Oriente Province, and now in Santiago de are in the collection of the senior author. Cuba and Granma provinces. Schwartz (1988) recently provided an elevational Pico Turquino Ascent transect of the isolated Sierra Martin Gar- The expedition to eastern Cuba in July- cia in the Republica Dominican. Al- August 1989 was organized by the Museo though the areal extent of the Sierra Mae- nacional de Historia Natural (La Habana), stra is much greater than that of the Martin the Universidad de la Habana, and Penn- Garcia, like the latter range, the southern sylvania State University. Because Pico slopes of the Sierra Maestra begin near sea Turquino encompasses a relatively large level and ascend to Pico Turquino, going area with many place names, and because from xerophytic to mesophytic conditions it has been an important locality for past (broadleaf forest). biological collections, a precise description 130 BUTTERFLIES OF PICO TURQUINO, CUBA 131 FIG. 1. Topographic map of Pico Turquino (contour interval = 200 m) showing the two different trails that have been used by biologists (hollow circles = old; closed circles = present). Abbreviations are: CA (Cueva del Aura), ET (Estribo Turquino), LB (Loma de Bruja, 1682 m), LE (La Esmajagua, 560 m), PCc (Pico Cuba camp, 1720 m), PCu (Pico Cuba, 1872 m), PCv (Pico Cuevas, 1306 m), PMV (Pico Mar Verde, or “Pico Cardero,” 1285 m), PR (Pico Real, 1974 m), and PS (Pico Suecia, 1734 m). of this area is of value. Previous descrip- each of these two routes, possibly leading tions (Marrero, 1947; Nunez Jimenez, 1959) to some confusion regarding past biolog- are now obsolete, because the route of as- ical collections. In addition, some modern cent and several place names have changed. authors have used the name “Pico Cor- We provide here an updated description dero," an obvious misspelling. The peak of Pico Turquino, current place names, and (1306 m) given this name on the old trail the present route of ascent. is called “Pico Cuevas” on the Pico Tur- Pico Turquino is a relatively isolated quino 1:50,000 scale topographic map, mountain in the west-central Sierra Mae- whereas the peak (1285 m) on the new trail stra. It rises sharply from the south coast. is called “Pico Mar Verde” on the map. The Prior to the 1900’s, the trail ascending Pico local inhabitants now refer to Pico Mar Turquino began at Playa de Bells Plums Verde as “Pico Cardero.” The well-known and El Dian on the coast, headed north to collecting locality of P. J. Darlington (and Pico Cuevas, then crossed a narrow ridge others), “Cueva del Aura,” is on the old (Estribo de la Cueva) to Pico Cuba and Pico trail (on Estribo de la Cueva). Real. This trail has since been abandoned. The butterfly collections on and around The present Turquino trail begins at Las Pico Turquino were made during a six day Cuevas (on the coast) and heads roughly period, 6-11 August 1989. The first collec- northeast along another ridge, joining the tions were made at Las Cuevas, on the coast old trail at Pico Cuba (Fig. 1). The name (5 m). Butterflies were collected here dur- “Pico Cardero” has been given to peaks on ing the morning of 6 August (0800-1200 132 A. SCHWARTZ AND S. B. HEDGES h) in herbaceous growth along the coast cabin and a polluted stream. The cabin was road. Las Cuevas is a small settlement with used in this case as main camp for three only a few scattered houses, and much of days. The knoll itself is open, with only the surrounding land is devoid of the orig- some scattered pines, young tree ferns, inal xerophytic scrub vegetation. The trail climbing bamboo, and a ground cover of is a narrow dirt road leading from Las Cue- grass and ferns (Fig. 2B). Cloud forest oc- vas to two government cabins (La Esma- curs below the knoll (Fig. 2C), but several jagua) at 560 m, several kilometers to the hikes into what appeared to be “good” for- north. The road is steep and in very poor est revealed signs of selective cutting and condition, and therefore most ascents of cleared patches. Butterflies were collected Pico Turquino begin at Las Cuevas on mule around the cabin and along the trail. Here, or on foot. The habitat between Las Cuevas and on Pico Real, Calisto were encountered and La Esmajagua is fairly open (cut-over) more frequently (but not exclusively) in semixeric woods. shaded areas, whereas Greta were found Butterflies were collected around the two only in this habitat and almost always near cabins at La Esmajagua and along the near- water (see Schwartz, 1989:452-457, for eco- by road during the morning and afternoon logical comments on Hispaniolan Greta (two days). The habitat was mostly open, diaphana). with scattered small trees, tall grass, and The climb from Pico Cuba camp to Pico herbaceous growth. Some small patches of Real takes about one hour along a mod- original forest were present along a nearby erately steep and rocky trail. Pico Cuba it- stream. The road ends just above La Es- self is reached in about 20 minutes, at which majagua, and therefore further ascent must point the trail drops into the distinctive be done by mule or on foot. The ascent of Turquino “notch,” and then rises again on Turquino continued on the morning of 8 the west side of Pico Real. Pico Real (Fig. August, taking three hours to reach Pico 2D) is large, gently rounded, and forested Cuba camp by foot. Patches of forest were except for a central clearing. Another trail first encountered at about 900 m, and rel- begins at this clearing and leads down the atively continuous forest was encountered north slope, along Estribo Turquino. The at about 1000 m, although signs of previous cloud forest canopy on Pico Real is about cutting are evident all the way up to Pico 10-15 m high, with an understory of tree Real. Pico Cardero (=Mar Verde) is just a ferns. Bromeliads are abundant. Butterflies small knob on the SW ridge of Pico Tur- were collected along the trail at the peak, quino. It should be noted here that “Pico which was lined with ferns and herba- Turquino” normally refers to the entire ceous growth. The butterflies were active mountain, whereas the highest peak is in the middle of the day (1000-1500 h), as called “Pico Real” (1974 m), although these the early morning and late afternoon were two names are sometimes used inter- misty and cool. Some sleeping Calisto were changeably. collected at night on the undersides of tree Pico Cuba (1872 m) is a “satellite peak” fern fronds and leaves of small trees.