Phoebis Avellaneda

I have some from Dom rep.

I suppose it occurs only in Cuba.

Presumably they are another Phoebis species or the data is erroneous.

Adam.

I checked several publications including "The Butterflies of the West Indies and South Florida", "A Field Guide to the Butterflies of the West Indies" and "Field Guide of Cuba - West Indies Butterflies". All of the books list it from Hispaniola. They also state that they have been "reported" from Hispaniola. I searched several data bases and the same language is used "Reported From".

I attempted to acquire specimens of Phoebis Avellaneda a year or two ago. The price is well out of my range. I do know you cannot collect butterflies in Cuba. The McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity has been given access to study the Lepidoptera of Cuba, however, they are not allowed to collect. At the 2019 Annual Meeting of the Southern Lepidopterists Society, Jackie Miller and Marc Minno of the McGuire Center presented a report on their visits to Cuba. All they could do was photograph.

Many years ago someone in the US Military was stationed at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base and collected butterflies and moths. I do not remember who or where I learned or heard of his activities.

Should somebody out there have a few specimens they would like to part with without me having to apply for a mortgage on my house, please let me know.

P. avellaneda is endemic to Cuba. There are other Phoebis species found throughout Hispanola as well as Central + South America. Avellaneda is considered the "grandest" of all the Phoebis species... This accounts in part for some of the stiff pricing which specimens realize; as well as the difficulty of securing a specimen from Cuba in the first place.
I too have heard stories of the occasional military guy picking off some while stationed at Guantanamo. I believe a very few occasional tourists from places in Europe have also done the same over the years... These instances of coarse were technically illegal but, people have done it none the less (despite the risk). I acquired a "fine" male of the species only a couple years back. It was collected 4 years ago and it has a VERY Italian name assigned as the collector. A second "fine" male which I acquired some 10 years ago dates back to 1996 and has an East (blok) or Russian name assigned to it.
Price-wise, if the specimens are at ALL wing marred or grease stained they naturally sell for less. Flawless or (nearly so) examples command stiff prices !! They only pop up on the radar infrequently and are heavily contested... Males though pricy are nearly always cheaper than females. Females are seldom offered and are probably less frequently seen or collected by any would be visitors there.
Occasionally, specimens become available in old collections through dealers. These will have dates of capture from the basically the late 1950's and before... However, the caveat about having these is that the colors de-grade somewhat with time (particularly the orange); so they lack the "pop" which recent examples sport !
Of further note is the topic of wing staining. As any seasoned collector knows Pierids in general tend to leach out exuviate from the abdomen if left papered for any time. It is nearly impossible to remove. Sometimes, trying to remove it will alter the colors of the specimen in the process. Hence, the tough bargaining over top shelf material.

Actually they seem to change color and become redder with time

Got one on eBay for 35 bucks... As far as I know collecting in Cuba is not legal. When they catch you it's your problem.