The Homerus Swallowtail Papilio homerus is the largest butterfly in the Americas with a forewing length of about 75 mm. Endemic to Jamaica, this black and yellow butterfly lives in virgin forest on mountain slopes, but loss of its habitat due to expanding agriculture and mining, and over-collecting threaten its future. Despite years of intermittent studies and campaigns, as well as protection under national law and CITES, the Homerus Swallowtail remains highly endangered and a priority species for the Swallowtail and Birdwing Butterfly Trust.
The Homerus Swallowtail is now restricted to two strongholds in Jamaica, but it is not known whether these two widely separated populations are genetically distinct. For further conservation efforts to be successful, it is vital to understand whether this is the case. Captive breeding using specimens from both locations, for example, could be a disaster if the populations are different, but much needed if they are the same species.
To discover whether the populations are distinct, we assembled a team led by Dr Eric Garraway of the University of West Indies, together with a group of enthusiastic students and a volunteer cameraman, John Parnell. With a license from the Jamaican government, the team collected living specimens from each of the two populations to take small samples from the hind wings for DNA analysis, before releasing them unharmed back to the wild.
Further research and specimens are needed, but the cost of expeditions to the remote habitats in which they reside, particularly of the western population, is expensive and beyond the current funds available to SBBT. We are hopeful that with the support of our followers, we can raise the funding needed to continue with this vital work. In the meantime, the University of the West Indies are currently exploring the establishment of a breeding facility on its Jamaican campus, which, if it came to fruition, could provide a lifeline for this highly endangered swallowtail.
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