Butterflies in Mauritius
Mauritius has only about 40 butterfly species, a small list for a tropical island, because it lies 2,000 km from Africa and 900 km east of Madagascar and every butterfly had to cross that ocean or be carried in by people. What it lacks in numbers it makes up in rarity: the Mauritius Swallowtail, the Mascarene Crow, the Mauritian Friar and several smaller endemics live nowhere else on Earth, most of them in the last scraps of native forest in the Black River Gorges. Alongside them fly widespread tropical butterflies such as the Citrus Swallowtail, the Monarch and the grass blues of every roadside.
On this page
- Butterflies found in Mauritius
- Butterflies of Mauritius at a glance
- The endemic butterflies of Mauritius
- Seasons and the butterfly year in Mauritius
- Where to see butterflies in Mauritius
- Host plants and butterfly gardening in Mauritius
- Extinct, threatened and recovering butterflies
- How to identify butterflies in Mauritius
- Frequently asked questions
Butterflies of Mauritius at a glance
Mauritius is a volcanic island of 2,040 square kilometres in the south-western Indian Ocean, and its butterflies reflect that isolation. Roughly 40 species have been recorded, a fraction of the several hundred in Madagascar to the west. Most arrived as strong-flying African or Malagasy species, a few came from Asia with sugar cane, bananas and garden plants, and a small group evolved here into island forms found nowhere else.
The brush-footed butterflies are the largest family, with the crows and friars of the milkweed group, the Brilliant Blue and other pansies, the Danaid Eggfly, the Common Evening Brown and the endemic bush brown Heteropsis narcissus. The blues come next with about nine mostly small, widespread species, then six skippers, three yellows and two swallowtails. There are no metalmarks and, apart from the yellows, no true whites.
The pattern is typical of oceanic islands: few species, several of them endemic, most of the endemics tied to native forest, and a growing share of the list made up of recent arrivals.
The endemic butterflies of Mauritius
The island's flagship is the Mauritius Swallowtail (Papilio manlius), a large black swallowtail marked with bands of cream and blue that lives in and around the remaining native forest, where its caterpillars feed on endemic trees of the citrus family. It is far scarcer than its cousin the Citrus Swallowtail (Papilio demodocus), an African butterfly that breeds on every citrus tree on the island and is the swallowtail most visitors see.
Two milkweed butterflies are unique to Mauritius. The Mascarene Crow (Euploea euphon) is a big glossy brown-black butterfly with white-spotted wing margins, and the Mauritian Friar (Amauris phoedon) is black with cream patches; both glide slowly through forest edges and rely on chemical defences taken up by their caterpillars. They share the island with the Monarch, which established itself on introduced milkweed in the 19th century, and with the Danaid Eggfly, whose female mimics the Plain Tiger.
Smaller endemics include the sailer Neptis frobenia, the bush brown Heteropsis narcissus, the skipper Coeliades ernesti, Manders' Blue (Leptotes mandersi) and island subspecies of the Mascarene Admiral (Antanartia borbonica mauritiana) and the Variable Eggfly (Hypolimnas anthedon drucei). The Brilliant Blue (Junonia rhadama), an electric-blue pansy shared with Madagascar and Réunion, is the butterfly most photographed by tourists, and the Blue Moon, an Indo-Pacific species, has reached the Mascarenes as well. The Painted Lady turns up as a wanderer from Africa.
Seasons and the butterfly year in Mauritius
Mauritius lies just north of the Tropic of Capricorn, so butterflies fly in every month, but the year has two halves. The hot, wet summer from November to April brings the most flowers, the fastest plant growth and the highest butterfly numbers; swallowtails, crows, friars and pansies are all at their peak between December and March, and most species raise several broods in succession. It is also cyclone season, and a strong storm can strip the forest and knock numbers back for weeks.
The cooler, drier winter from May to October is quieter but never empty. The Citrus Swallowtail, the grass blues, the Common Evening Brown and the yellows continue in reduced numbers, and the upland forest of the Black River Gorges stays green enough for the endemics to persist. Because there is no cold season, there is no true hibernation; if you are curious how butterflies elsewhere survive winter, see where butterflies go in the winter. The butterfly season guide explains the general pattern.
Where to see butterflies in Mauritius
Less than two per cent of Mauritius still carries native forest, and that is where the endemics live, so the best butterfly-watching means walking the upland trails rather than the beach resorts.
- Black River Gorges National Park — the island's largest protected area; the Macchabée and Pétrin trails are the places to look for the Mauritius Swallowtail, Mascarene Crow, Mauritian Friar and the endemic sailer and bush brown.
- Le Pouce and Le Morne — mountain paths with Brilliant Blues and pansies on the sunny lower slopes.
- Vallée de Ferney and Bras d'Eau — restored forest in the east with endemic butterflies among the replanted native trees.
- Île aux Aigrettes — a restored coral islet where native coastal plants and their insects are being brought back.
- La Vanille Nature Park, Rivière des Anguilles — famous for crocodiles and giant tortoises, and home to a museum collection of some 23,000 mounted insects, including Mauritian butterflies; a good place to learn the species, not a wild butterfly site.
Gardens, sugar-cane margins and roadside verges everywhere hold the Citrus Swallowtail, Monarch, Danaid Eggfly, African Migrant and the grass blues.
Host plants and butterfly gardening in Mauritius
Most of the common butterflies breed readily in gardens, and the right caterpillar host plants are already familiar.
- Citrus trees — the Citrus Swallowtail; native Vepris and other endemic rue-family trees for the Mauritius Swallowtail.
- Milkweeds (Asclepias, Gomphocarpus) — the Monarch; native Tylophora and Secamone vines for the friar and the crow.
- Purslane and portulaca — the Danaid Eggfly; Asystasia and other acanthus-family plants for the Brilliant Blue and pansies.
- Senna and cassia — the African Migrant and grass yellows; beans, pigeon pea and other legumes for the Long-tailed Blue, Brown Playboy and grass blues.
- Banana and palms — the Palm Redeye, an Asian skipper that reached the island in the 1970s and rolls banana leaves into tubes.
Lantana, pentas, ixora and hibiscus give nectar all year, and rotting fruit on a tray will bring in the Common Evening Brown and the crows at dusk. Read more in butterfly habitat.
Extinct, threatened and recovering butterflies
Mauritius has already lost butterflies. The Mauritian Snout (Libythea cinyras) has not been seen since the 19th century and is treated as extinct, Euploea desjardinsii is known only from old specimens, and the endemic subspecies of the Blue-spotted Pansy, Salamis augustina vinsoni, is feared lost as well. All were forest butterflies, and the forest went first to sugar cane and then to introduced guava, privet and deer.
The survivors depend on the Black River Gorges and a handful of restored patches, where the National Parks and Conservation Service and the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation weed out invasive plants and replant native trees. Every gain for the island's famous birds, the Pink Pigeon and Echo Parakeet, is a gain for the Mauritius Swallowtail and Mascarene Crow that share the same forest. Cyclones, drought and new introduced insects remain the wild cards. The lesson is familiar from other islands: compare the far larger but similarly threatened endemic fauna of Madagascar.
Butterflies found in Mauritius
37 species listed for Mauritius, grouped by family. Linked names have a full profile on this site with pictures of every life stage.
Brush-Footed (Nymphalidae)
Show all 15 other brush-footed species names
- Brilliant Blue (Junonia rhadama)
- Common Evening Brown (Melanitis leda)
- Danaid Eggfly (Hypolimnas misippus)
- Mascarene Crow (Euploea euphon)
- Mauritian Friar (Amauris phoedon)
- Antanartia borbonica mauritiana
- Euploea desjardinsii
- Heteropsis narcissus
- Hypolimnas anthedon drucei
- Hypolimnas bolina jacintha
- Junonia goudotii
- Libythea cinyras
- Neptis frobenia
- Phalanta phalantha aethiopica
- Salamis augustina vinsoni
Gossamer-Winged (Lycaenidae)
Show all 9 gossamer-winged species names
- African Grass Blue (Zizeeria knysna)
- Dark Grass Blue (Zizina antanossa)
- Brown Playboy (Deudorix antalus)
- Lang's Short-tailed Blue (Leptotes pirithous)
- Long-tailed Blue (Lampides boeticus)
- Cacyreus darius
- Leptotes mandersi
- Pseudonacaduba sichela reticulum
- Zizula hylax
Whites and Sulphurs (Pieridae)
- Eurema brigitta pulchella
- Eurema floricola ceres
- Catopsilia florella thauruma
Swallowtail (Papilionidae)
- Papilio manlius
Skipper (Hesperiidae)
- African Straight (Parnara naso)
- Borbo Skipper (Borbo borbonica)
- Striped Policeman (Coeliades forestan)
- Palm Redeye (Erionota thrax)
- Coeliades ernesti
- Eagris sabadius
How to identify butterflies in Mauritius
With only about 40 species, Mauritian butterflies are easy to sort. Two swallowtails: black with cream and blue bands in the forest is the endemic Papilio manlius; black peppered with yellow spots in a garden is the Citrus Swallowtail. Three large slow gliders in the milkweed group: orange and black is the Monarch, glossy brown-black with white-dotted margins is the Mascarene Crow, black with cream patches is the Mauritian Friar. A vivid blue butterfly with eyespots basking on a path is the Brilliant Blue; a dark one with a big white patch flashing purple is the Danaid Eggfly or Blue Moon. Small blues on lawns and legumes need a close look at the underside, and brown butterflies flying at dusk are almost always the Common Evening Brown.
The island's list is short partly because so many African species never made the crossing; to see what is missing, compare the faunas of South Africa and India, and browse the rest of Butterflies of the World.
Frequently asked questions about the butterflies of Mauritius
How many butterfly species are there in Mauritius?
About 40 butterfly species have been recorded in Mauritius, a small total for a tropical island. The number is low because Mauritius is extremely isolated, 900 km east of Madagascar and 2,000 km from Africa, so only strong fliers and species carried by people ever arrived. Several of those that did evolve into endemic species found nowhere else.
Which butterflies are endemic to Mauritius?
The Mauritius Swallowtail (Papilio manlius), the Mascarene Crow (Euploea euphon), the Mauritian Friar (Amauris phoedon), the sailer Neptis frobenia, the bush brown Heteropsis narcissus, the skipper Coeliades ernesti and Manders' Blue are endemic, along with island subspecies of the Mascarene Admiral and Variable Eggfly. Most survive only in native upland forest.
Are Monarch butterflies found in Mauritius?
Yes. The Monarch (Danaus plexippus) has lived in Mauritius since the 19th century, when milkweed was introduced as a garden plant, and it is now common in gardens and along sugar-cane margins across the island. It does not migrate here; it breeds all year round on Asclepias and Gomphocarpus and is one of the most familiar Mauritian butterflies.
Where is the best place to see butterflies in Mauritius?
Black River Gorges National Park is the best place for the endemic species; the Macchabée and Pétrin trails pass through the native forest where the Mauritius Swallowtail, Mascarene Crow and Mauritian Friar live. La Vanille Nature Park in the south is worth a visit for its museum of about 23,000 mounted insects, but its butterflies are specimens, not a living colony.
Why does Mauritius have so few butterflies?
Isolation is the main reason. Mauritius rose from the sea floor about eight million years ago and was never joined to any continent, so every butterfly had to fly or drift across at least 900 km of ocean. Only a few dozen species managed it, and the later destruction of native forest for sugar cane wiped out several of the endemics that had evolved from them.
What is the largest butterfly in Mauritius?
The two swallowtails are the largest, each with a wingspan up to about 100 mm. The endemic Mauritius Swallowtail (Papilio manlius) is black with cream and blue bands and confined to native forest, while the Citrus Swallowtail (Papilio demodocus) is black with yellow spots and common in every garden with a citrus tree.
When is the best time of year to see butterflies in Mauritius?
Butterflies fly all year, but the warm wet season from November to April has the most species and the biggest numbers, with a peak between December and March when the forest and gardens are in full flower. The cooler, drier months from May to October are quieter, and a cyclone can temporarily empty an area of butterflies.
Which butterfly families live in Mauritius?
Five families are present: the brush-footed butterflies, which include the crows, friars, pansies, eggflies and browns and make up almost half the list; the blues; the skippers; the yellows of the whites-and-sulphurs family; and the swallowtails, with two species. There are no metalmarks, and the only pierids are yellows and the African Migrant.
Has any Mauritian butterfly gone extinct?
Yes. The Mauritian Snout (Libythea cinyras), an endemic snout butterfly, has not been recorded since the 19th century and is regarded as extinct. The milkweed butterfly Euploea desjardinsii and the endemic subspecies of the Blue-spotted Pansy are also known only from old specimens. All were forest species lost when the native forest was cleared for sugar cane.
What does the Citrus Swallowtail eat in Mauritius?
The caterpillars of the Citrus Swallowtail feed on the leaves of citrus trees, so lemon, orange and mandarin trees in gardens across Mauritius raise them every year; the young larvae look like bird droppings and the older ones are green with a red forked scent organ. The adults take nectar from lantana, hibiscus, pentas and other garden flowers.
Published November 13, 2023 · Last updated September 21, 2026