The butterfly fauna of the Bahama Islands is limited in species diversity with 95 species recorded, a few of which are uncommon vagrants, and many are polytypic. Approximately 4% of the fauna are endemic, and these species are generally associated with the larger islands or those more remotely isolated in this insular group. The butterfly fauna is not as homogeneous in composition throughout the islands as once believed, and the possible reasons for this heterogeneity are proposed. This fauna shares close taxonomic affinities with Florida and Cuba, and to a lesser extent with Hispaniola and Jamaica. The biodiversity of the Bahamian butterflies is reviewed in light of species composition and islands biogeography.
Species 1: Lepidoptera
Keywords: Systematics, Biogeography
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