Larval Food-plants and Nectar Flowers

Abstract

Butterfly caterpillars feed on the leaves or sometimes flower-parts of green plants and the adult insects visit flowers for nectar, and in a few instances pollen. Whilst most butterflies are not very particular about their sources of nectar, taking it where and when available, their selection of plant species on which to lay their eggs is specialized. In this chapter, the larval food-plants and nectar sources of Cayman butterflies are tabulated. Food-plants and nectar flowers of Cayman butterflies are arranged by their scientific names in families, both in alphabetic order. Cayman common names for the plants are given, and also whether they are native or naturalized in the Cayman Islands, or a cultivated horticultural introduction. Instances where a known food-plant of a Cayman butterfly is present in the islands, but its exploitation is unconfirmed, are indicated by parentheses.Keywords: Cayman butterflies; larval food-plants; nectar sources