Observations by caymannature

Leptotes cassius - Cassius Blue on Spilanthes urens - White Button, Uncle Sammy’s Pond, West Bay, April 21, 2024.
Butterflies of the Cayman Islands by R.R. Askew and P.A. van B.Stafford 2008, p.80.

Croton glabellus has been misidentified as Croton lucidus.
A monoecious shrub, leaves usually long petiolate, glabrate or stellate pubescent.
Croton lucidus 1891 Collected from Lucea, Jamaica, and Grand Cayman, by Albert S. Hitchcock, who was collecting for the Missouri Botanical Garden.
Flora of the Cayman Islands by George R. Proctor, 2012 p.453.

Croton glabellus has been misidentified as Croton lucidus.
A monoecious shrub, leaves usually long petiolate, glabrate or stellate pubescent.
Croton lucidus 1891 Collected from Lucea, Jamaica, and Grand Cayman, by Albert S. Hitchcock, who was collecting for the Missouri Botanical Garden.
Flora of the Cayman Islands by George R. Proctor, 2012 p.453.

Trichila glabra – Bastard Mahogany is the Cayman common name.
Small tree, leaves with mostly 3 pairs of leaflets and a terminal one. The leaves are similar to Red Birch – Bursera simaruba, which has a characteristic bronze-red bark.
Native range is S. Mexico to Central America and western Caribbean.
Flora of the Cayman Islands by George R. Proctor, 2012 p.495.
Middle Ground, Sept.6, 2022.

Wild Fig tree, Strangler Fig Tree – Ficus aurea, Cayman Islands largest native tree.
FLORA of the CAYMAN ISLANDS 2nd. Edition by George R. Proctor, Kew Publishing 2012. Page 240, Fig. 83, Pl.3.
South Church St. / Websters April 3, 2024.

Wild Fig tree, Strangler Fig Tree – Ficus aurea, Cayman Islands largest native tree, stripped of its leaves by Lymire albipennis caterpillars.
FLORA of the CAYMAN ISLANDS 2nd. Edition by George R. Proctor, Kew Publishing 2012. Page 240, Fig. 83, Plate 13.
Tree in the foreground is Tabernaemontana laurifolia – Sling-shot tree, native to the Cayman Islands and Jamaica only.
FLORA of the CAYMAN ISLANDS 2nd. Edition by George R. Proctor, Kew Publishing 2012. Page 519, Plate 49.

Lymire albipennis larva eating Ficus aurea – Wild Fig tree leaves at Liguinea Circle, March 8, 2024. Ficus aurea is the largest native tree in the Cayman Islands. The little caterpillars can strip a huge tree,
Lymire albipennis larvae also feed on Ficus carica – Edible Fig – leaves.

Cyclargus erembis on Lantana involucrata – Roundleaf Sage, Bitter Sage - Cayman common names, and near it’s larval food plant Guilandina bonduc = Caesalpinia bonduc – Cockspur, Grey Nickel, Nickas – Cayman common names.T his very prickly, sprawling shrub is most probably the ONLY larval food plant of the Cayman Islands Blue Butterfly – Cyclargus erembis (= Cyclargus ammon erembis)

Strymon istapa - Dotted Hairstreak on Gomphrena vermicularis = Blutaparon vermiculare - Samphire, Silverhead, Uncle Sammy’s Pond, West Bay. March 29, 2024.
Butterflies of the Cayman Islands by R.R. Askew and P.A. van B.Stafford 2008, p.75.

Jacquiniea keyensis – Wash-wood
Grows very slowly, extremely salt tolerant.
Endangered on Cayman Islands Red List
Flora of the Cayman Islands by George R. Proctor, 2012 p.349
Native to: Bahamas, Cayman Islands, Cuba, Florida, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Turks-Caicos Islands.

Salicornia perennis – Glasswort, Barkers, West Bay
Glasswort is the larval food plant of Brephidium exilis ssp. thompsoni - Cayman Islands Pygmy Blue endemic subspecies, which is only found in its specialized habitat - low-lying, often rocky, saline area. Young Black Mangrove trees – Avicennia germinans, and Sea Pusley - Sesuvium portulacastrum, its little pink nectar flower, are part of the Pygmy Blue’s habitat.
Flora of the Cayman Islands by George R. Proctor, 2012 p.271.
Butterflies of the Cayman Islands by R.R. Askew and P.A. van B.Stafford 2008, p.78.

Brephidium exilis ssp. thompsoni - Cayman Islands Pygmy Blue endemic subspecies, typical habitat, Barkers dyke roads, has remained relatively undisturbed for many years. The low-lying, rocky, saline area, is where its larval food plant, Salicornia perennis – Glasswort, grows in abundance, together with its little pink nectar flower, Sesuvium portulacastrum – Sea Pusley. Young Black Mangrove trees – Avicennia germinans grow in the vicinity.
Butterflies of the Cayman Islands by R.R. Askew and P.A. van B.Stafford 2008, p.78.