Category: Insects

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Esmeralda Longtail

You might ask why the Common Name for this butterfly is in Spanish? “Esmeralda” = “Emerald” in English. Yes, it is unusual, even for species found only in Spanish-speaking Central America like this butterfly. It is of course named for the emerald-colored (green or turquoise) body of this Longtail Skipper which otherwise looks a lot like other Longtails! But not to be confused with a separate Turquoise Longtail! 🙂 And of course the scientific name is in Latin (esmeraldus) like every other species in the world. Esmeralda Longtail, Urbanus esmeraldus (linked to my Esmeralda Gallery) or you can see other people’s submitted photos on butterfliesandmoths.org, Esmeralda page. Just one shot here.

Esmeralda Longtail, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

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Apricot Sulphur

And how can a butterfly named “Apricot” not be cool? 🙂 This Apricot Sulphur, Phoebis argante (my gallery link) I saw just a week ago in my garden for my fourth sighting! One other time in my garden and once each at Xandari and Banana Azul, my two best butterfly hotels here! Check out the different looks in my gallery linked above or study them online. Here’s two shots with more from that sighting in the above gallery.

Apricot Sulphur, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
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Brown-banded Skipper

The Brown-banded Skipper, Timochares ruptifasciata, is another new species for me as my collection continues to grow! It is found in the southern USA, Mexico and Jamaica and now I’m the first to report one from Costa Rica.

Brown-banded Skipper, Timochares ruptifasciata, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

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Plain Longtail

The Plain Longtail – Urbanus simplicius (link to butterflies & moths) is one I’ve seen a lot of as you can see in my Plain Longtail GALLERY or in the top link to butterfliesandmoths that I’ve reported the most of this Central American butterfly. Here’s just two shots. See my gallery above for more . . .

Plain Longtail, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
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Brown Longtail

The Brown Longtail – Urbanus procne (my gallery link) is one of 4 different but similar longtails that I see regularly and always have to study their details to identify. Not new, these shots were of the first seen this season back in April. Here’s 3 shots and you can see more in the above-linked gallery or browse through all my Skippers to see the subtle difference in the longtails or see more of these Browns on butterfliesandmoths dot org.

Brown Longtail, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
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Tailed Cecropian

Another new butterfly species for me, seen in June in my Cecropia Tree, the Tailed Cecropian, Historis acheronta (my gallery with 3 shots). A less seen species found from South Texas to Brazil and you can see other photos submitted on butterfliesandmoths. The great variety of butterflies here just continues to keep me searching! 🙂

Tailed Cecropian, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

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50+ Dragonflies Identified . . .

. . . with either the species or family genus name, most by species. That is because I decided to upload all my dragonfly and damselfly photos to Naturalista Costa Rica, the iNaturalist branch here, and of course you know that all members of iNaturalist can submit an identification of a species photo submitted. And lucky for me, one of the two authors of Dragonflies and Damselflies of Costa Rica is active on iNaturalist and so my many photos have been labeled by possibly the foremost specialist on Costa Rica Dragon and Damselflies. 🙂 You can see them in my gallery named: DRAGONFLIES & DAMSELFLIES (50+) which is now the first set of galleries under OTHER WILDLIFE. It was a lot of work, but now my photos are properly identified and are all on iNaturalist for posterity! 🙂 Plus, this gallery is now a good scientific database for research. And in the future I hope to do this with some other categories of my nature photos. 🙂 Though I will continue to post my birds on eBird and my butterflies on butterfliesandmoths.org

CLICK on the above image to go to the gallery. One of the largest Costa Rica Dragonfly Collections on the internet! 🙂

¡Pura Vida!

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The Other 2 Whites

The last two days I showed the two most active White Butterflies in my garden. Now here’s the other two I’ve seen this year, even if not as attractive nor as active in my garden . . .

Great Southern White, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

Great Southern White link to my gallery for more photos. He is found from the southern states in the U.S. down through Central America.

Godart’s or Felder’s White, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

Godart’s or Felder’s White link to my gallery for more photos. He is found in Costa Rica south to Columbia.

¡Pura Vida!