Category: Butterflies

Butterflies photographed in Costa Rica and nearby

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Heliconius Butterfly or Moth?

As you know, some butterflies live only a few days or weeks. And some of those decide to come into my house before they die! I sweep out dead insects every morning! I’ve had more than one of this particular species inside and one I found dead today (1st two photos). I am pretty sure it is in the Heliconia family but can’t place it in one of the known 29 subspecies. It seems to be like a Postman but they are usually red rather than orange with the black and white and different body. It is also similar to the Heliconius Linnaeus and the Heliconius Ismenius, but not exactly! So I’m calling it an Unidentified Heliconius Butterfly or Moth.

 
 
Moth or Butterfly?
Moths have furry bodies like this guy but butterflies usually have brighter colors and club antennae like this.
But there are exceptions to all rules and I need an expert to help identify this one!
Back or bottom side of this butterfly/moth.
Bottom is almost always totally different than the top side.
They come in my always open doors, then
try to get out a closed window screen.
Not too smart.

 

My moving flower arrangements inside.  🙂

See My Butterfly Photo Gallery now on SmugMug.

And if you like bugs, see also the Other Insects Photo Gallery all on my new site called

“Charlie Doggett’s COSTA RICA” where eventually I will have all my Costa Rica photos.

 
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Another Unidentified Butterfly/Moth

Unknown
In My Home Garden, Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica
Doesn’t quite match photos of crackers, black witch, duskywing or moths.

BUTTERFLIES & MOTHS IN COSTA RICA:

There are about 1,251 species of butterflies and at least 8,000 species of moths. Butterflies and moths are common year round but are more present during the rainy season. Ten percent of known butterfly species worldwide reside in Costa Rica.[13]

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wildlife_of_Costa_Rica

And be sure to see my NEW Butterfly Photo Gallery on SmugMug with 46 species as of today.
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Other INSECTS at Monteverde

Golden Orb Spider

Monteverde Butterfly Garden, Costa Rica

 

Unknown Insect

Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, Costa Rica
At the entrance buildings

 

Walking-Leaf Katydid

Monteverde Butterfly Garden, Costa Rica

 

Walking-Stick Insect

Monteverde Butterfly Garden, Costa Rica

 

Unknown Insect

Monteverde Butterfly Garden, Costa Rica

 

Leaf Cutter Ants

Monteverde Butterfly Garden, Costa Rica

 

Butterfly Caterpillars in the Rainforest

Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, Monteverde, Costa Rica

There were of course many more insects seen and not photographed. Costa Rica has one of the largest selection of insect species in the world, more than all of the U.S. and Canada combined and yet it is the size of the state of West Virginia.

My Other Insects of Costa Rica  PHOTO GALLERY     OR   Costa Rica Butterflies

And I just finished the Monteverde Birding Club Trip 2016 TRIP PHOTO GALLERY

If we were to wipe out insects alone on this planet, the rest of life and humanity with it would mostly disappear from the land. Within a few months.    ~E. O. Wilson
Land of Great Species Diversity

 

 

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Polydamas Swallowtail – This Year’s First Butterfly!

Polydamas Swallowtail Butterfly
My Garden in Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica

Well, the butterflies are starting to come! And this is the first other than the Banded Peacock which was the only one to stay all summer (Your northern winters are our windy summers.). You may remember that I posted photos of this Polydamas Swallowtail Last June – not the most colorful but a butterfly!

I also hope to increase my photo gallery Costa Rica Butterflies this year where I now have 36+ species with a variety of Skippers, which I have already seen some of this year. As I remember last year, June and July were the peak months, but my garden didn’t get going good until into June, so a head start this year!  🙂  And truthfully, it has been too windy for butterflies since mid-December, but the wind will slow down and stop by April. Plus I’m going to the Monteverde Butterfly Garden next week which may give me some new ones, I hope! Though so far most of these butterfly gardens tend to have about the same butterflies.

“Well, I must endure the presence of a few caterpillars if I wish to become acquainted with the butterflies.” ― Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince  (One of my favorite little books!)

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Garden Regulars

Fork-tailed Emerald Hummingbird, one of my regulars, every day!
Click image for larger or closer view.
Banded Peacock Butterfly, another regular and about the only
butterfly still around much with a few Julia left and brown Skippers
June-July was the big butterfly time but hoping for another season

NOT WRITING AS MUCH
I could blame it on being busy with Angel Tree and two Spanish classes, and all the regular housekeeping, shopping and I’m working on the continuation of my photo biographies and have started photographing scrapbooks so I can get rid of these boxes! But I also am slowing down and just not in to writing on blog every night like I did for months. We’ll see what happens, but I think I am in a period of writing just every few days for awhile. 

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Newly Hatched Banded Peacock Butterfly

Earlier I featured a mature Banded Peacock with most shots of top of wings. This is a younger, maybe newly hatched, with more yellowish wing bands and more brown background color than the more mature one. In my garden of course!  🙂

 

Immature Banded Peacock butterfly
In my Roca Verde Garden, Atenas, Costa Rica

 

Immature Banded Peacock butterfly
In my Roca Verde Garden, Atenas, Costa Rica


“Just living is not enough,” said the butterfly, “one must have sunshine, freedom and a little flower.”  ~Hans Christian Andersen

And don’t forget that I have a Costa Rica Butterflies PHOTO GALLERY.