Butterflies (Lepidoptera) of the Republic of the Marshall Islands

Five butterfly species are reported from the Republic of the Marshall Islands: Badamia exclamationis, Danaus plexippus, Hypolimnas bolina, Junonia villida, and Lampides boeticus; the last requires corroboration. None is endemic to the Marshalls. All are widely distributed in the Pacific, and some well beyond. Hypolimnas bolina is the most common species in the Marshalls. It was recorded, often in large numbers, on all islands surveyed during the study reported here, and on all islands in the Marshalls where butterflies were previously recorded. Additional surveys of butterflies elsewhere in the Marshall Islands will doubtless result in many new locality records, but few additional species are likely to be added to the current list. Small island size together with limited habitat diversity, limited host-plant availability, and distance from potential source populations contribute to the paucity of species on these remote Pacific islands.