Butterfly as Messenger of Death

[Gerald Mines]

Hi,

The following request for information was posted to another butterfly 
forum that I participate in.  I thought perhaps there could be someone 
on Leps-L that could provide information on this "Butterfly 'O Death"


> Hi everybody, 
> today I was totally surprised by a beautiful butterfly that had taken 
> a laundrybasket in the back of my garden as its residence. It was as 
> big as my (womens') hand and was really perfectly dressed in a 
> black/grey/white "dress".  I live on the Island Aruba, in the 
> Carribean and I had never seen such a big wonderful butterfly before. 
> I shouted out for my maid, who is local, and asked her if she knew 
> what kind of butterfly it was. She went pale and shaky. She told me 
> the butterfly was the messenger of death and then she informed me 
> about several cases in her family where such insect was seen just 
> before the death of a dear friend or family member. Where they sit: 
> the closer to your house, the closer to your heart.  I am not really 
> supersticious, but I do believe in signs and signals. I've tried to 
> find out on the internet and in our enceclopaedia's, but I couln't
> find anything about this "butterfly of death".  Is there somebody who 
> can tell me more about this butterfly and the story behind the 
> 'death-thing'?


Any info on the species of butterfly and any details on the local 
superstition surrounding this butterfly would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,

Gerald Mines
Omaha, Nebraska
http://www.tconl.com/~mines