Category: Butterflies

Butterflies photographed in Costa Rica and nearby

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Another New Butterfly Species!

New species for me that is – Scientific Name: Chlosyne hippodrome, and two common names: “Simple Patch” in A Swift Guide to Butterflies of Mexico and Central America, my only good printed guide, while several websites are calling it “Simple Checkerspot,” with checkerspots and patches being “cousins” in the larger “Brushfoot” family of butterflies or maybe checkerspots being a type of patch butterfly – not clear to me yet. Confusing? Yeah, labeling butterflies has always been difficult for me and I still have several “unidentified” butterflies in my gallery. There doesn’t seem to be as much world-wide coordination of butterfly naming and following like with birds.

But anyway, this one is similar to Crimson Patch which I already had a photo of and also similar to the Banded Peacock of which there was one flying near where I got this guy on a zinnia at the Corner of Avenida 8 & Calle 3 while walking to town. Butterflies continue to amaze me! 🙂

See all 3 of my “Patches” butterflies along with about 112 other species in my Costa Rica Butterflies Photo Gallery.

And CLICK an image below to see it larger.

  • Simple Patch or Simple Checkerspot
  • Simple Patch or Simple Checkerspot
  • Simple Patch or Simple Checkerspot
  • Simple Patch or Simple Checkerspot

¡Pura Vida!

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White Angled Sulphur

Another repeat butterfly for me today, though I only got a side view. The top view of this guy is a lot different – white with two yellow splotches plus the little brown spots you can barely see here, though I was unable to photograph the top this time. See more in my White Angled Sulphur Gallery. Another interesting butterfly I can enjoy in my garden during this rainy season.

White-angled Sulphur

My Costa Rica Butterflies Gallery has many more!

Never bored with butterflies! 🙂

¡Pura Vida!

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Poan Skipper

I have studied the Swift Guide to Butterflies of Mexico & Central America plus the internet and cannot find an exact match, but certain it is in the “Poanes” scientific family name with many called something Poan Skipper, thus my generic name here. It is my second time to see this butterfly in my garden, see my Poan Skipper Gallery for the other one. I have decided it was the angle of sunshine that caused my first one to appear more orange and thus I originally called it “Evergreen Poan Skipper” which is not correct, partly because book says they live only in Mexico. Maybe we have an un-labeled Costa Rica version? Hey! It still happens in all categories of wildlife here. 🙂

  • Poan Skipper
  • Poan Skipper

My Costa Rica Butterflies Gallery has many more!

Never bored with butterflies! 🙂

¡Pura Vida!

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Montezuma’s Cattleheart

This is my first of this particular Cattleheart and I got them mating! In my CR Butterflies Gallery I have 4 other species of Cattlehearts but not this one until now. It is found from Mexico south to Costa Rica with supposedly fewer this far south, but they were in my garden and for this photo on the outside wall of my house. I’m up to 110 species of butterflies here now! 🙂

Montezuma’s Cattleheart Butterflies mating.

¡Pura Vida!

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Giant White

Another repeat butterfly for the blog, but a special one found almost only in Central America, the Giant White (Ganyra josephina) (Wikipedia), seen from South Texas through Mexico and Central America to northern Columbia, with rare strays into New Mexico & Kansas. They are plentiful here in Costa Rica though difficult to photograph because they are constantly on the move and I seldom get in sharp focus. These three shots from my garden yesterday morning. And all of my earlier shots of Giant White Photo Gallery were also from my garden. 🙂 CLICK image to enlarge.

Giant White Butterfly

My Costa Rica Butterflies Photo Gallery

¡Pura Vida!

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Giant Swallowtail

Butterflies continue to demand my attention around the house as seen by this guy yesterday – the Giant Swallowtail (and I’ve shown several on the blog).

With only wrens and thrushes around the house now, I hope to check out Calle Nueva this morning or tomorrow morning for maybe some different birds. The days remain pleasant with partial sun and usually an afternoon shower, keeping everything green! Costa Rica’s “Winter” or “Rainy Season” is still my favorite time of year here. Pura vida! Pure life!

Giant Swallowtail
Giant Swallowtail

See my Costa Rica Butterflies Photo Gallery.

Well, I must endure the presence of a few caterpillars if I wish to become acquainted with the butterflies.

-Antoine de Saint-Exupery, The Little Prince

Costa Rica Travel Rules

Entrance & Travel Protocols for My EU, UK, and Canada Friends who can visit beginning August 1. This list is thanks to our friends at “Two Weeks in Costa Rica” website & blog. It is really mostly common sense precautions since we still have cases of COVID19 here, like washing hands, wearing mask, and expecting some differences in the “yellow zones” and “orange zones” which are based on how many cases there, including fewer businesses opened. There is also a required health insurance you can get at the airport.

Sorry for the inconveniences but our Ministry of Health precautions are the reason Costa Rica has the lowest COVID rate in all of Latin America or maybe all of the Americas.

¡Pura Vida!

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Nature’s Angels – Butterflies!

Yawn! Not much going on yesterday! So I walked out into the garden and snapped some butterfly photos. None new, but I like this shot of the Brown Longtail and equally the Cloudless Sulphur shot, which is found from Canada to South America by the way! 🙂 No usable shots of the many Giant Whites I saw but I included a shot of an injured or damaged Polydamas Swallowtail, since broken wings seem common among most butterflies. Life can be harsh, even for a butterfly! 🙂

  • Cloudless Sulphur
  • Brown Longtail
  • Injured Polydamas Swallowtail
CLICK image to enlarge.

See my Costa Rica Butterflies Photo Gallery – 109+ species!

Butterflies are nature’s angels. They remind us what a gift it is to be alive.

-Robyn Nola

¡Pura Vida!

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Butterflies – God’s Confetti!

Butterflies are God’s confetti, thrown upon the Earth in celebration of His love     

~K. D’Angelo

Along with the freshness of the air during rainy season, there are always butterflies in my garden – bringing smiles and sparkles of God’s love! What a blessing!

  • Banded Peacock
  • Giant Swallowtail
  • Giant White
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Two New Galleries

I have completed two new photo galleries from my recent trip to Maquenque. Of course the Maquenque Gallery is the biggest with most photos, but we stopped for coffee in Cinchona on the way back home and in 15 to 20 minutes I photographed 6 birds with two of them “Lifers” (new to me)! And of course the San Fernando Waterfall! And since it is a totally different location than Maquenque and my travel galleries are about locations – two galleries! 🙂

You have been getting samples or teasers on the blog (with 4 more to go through the 22nd) while this is the real collection from my #1 birding lodge and photos of 61 species this trip! Plus photos of lots of other nature! Check it out! And similar to the blog, you click photos to enlarge or sometimes open a sub-gallery for that bird or topic.

Maquenque Eco-Lodge, July 2020 Gallery

And the separate gallery for our coffee break stop on the way home at Soda & Mirador Cinchona for a waterfall and 6 birds, 2 of which are “Lifers” for me!

And in the interest of Coronavirus Safety I have no more trips planned until the middle of September, my annual Caribe Beach trip to Hotel Banana Azul where I will again be a “loner” doing things “solo” for safety. This place is more about relaxation than serious birding but there will be birds! 🙂 And solo walks on the beach searching for nature gems! And always enjoying someone else’s cooking! And reading! 🙂

And FYI, because of some spikes in Coronavirus cases, Costa Rica has shut down again until maybe August with no bars and restaurants only for “take out” or para llevar! (Or delivery, called “express” here.)

And even the banks were closed this week! I hope not next week as I’m trying to renew my residency! And for two weeks at least, private cars are allowed on the road for only 1 day a week based on tag number. We take the virus seriously here! And most of us wear masks. The borders are still closed to everyone until announced otherwise. They had hoped for limited border openings in August but that is not looking likely now, especially for Americans, the most infected country in the world! (Love your money but not your virus!) 🙂

Stay safe everyone and wear your mask!

¡Pura Vida!

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Maquenque Butterflies

As common after trips, I’ve been overwhelmed with things to do since I returned from Maquenque Eco-Lodge and with so many bird photos to process (60+ species) it may be awhile before I share those, so here is a small collection of 7 species of butterflies. Every living thing loves Maquenque! 🙂 CLICK an image to enlarge.

  • Forest Giant Owl
  • White Peacock
  • Sara Heliconian
  • Sara Heliconian
  • Erato Heliconian or Postman
  • Blue-patched Eyemark
  • Common Green-eyed White
  • Smooth-banded Sister

It’s very tough for me to focus. I’m like: ‘Look, something shiny! No, focus. Oh, there goes a butterfly!’ ~Gabby Douglas

🙂

My Costa Rica Butterfly Gallery has more than 106 species now!

¡Pura Vida!