Category: Insects

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Found Another”Lifer” Butterfly!

I’m still working on my photos and identifying species and just discovered another new species for me, the Wedge-spotted Cattleheart, a butterfly in the family with Swallowtails. Here’s three shots of this one, all with folded wings (he refused to open them). And for the students of butterflies, note that it is similar to or could be confused with the Iphidamas or Transandean Cattleheart, but there are small differences!  🙂

¡Pura Vida!

For more photos of this family of butterflies go to my galleries in the family folder: Papilionidae – PARNASSIANS & SWALLOWTAILS

 

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Two New Crescents for Me . . .

In my short two-night stay at Xandari Costa Rica I photographed 13+ species of butterflies with a few more still unidentified, so maybe more.  🙂  It is my #1 best location for wild butterflies so far! In this post I present the the only two “lifers” or first-time seen butterflies on this trip.

Chestnut Crescent – Anthanassa argentea

This one is easily confused with the Tulcis or Pale-banded Crescent and the Ardent Crescent (both in my gallery).

Gray-based Crescent – Castilia griseobasalis

And this one is easily confused with both the Mayan and Cryptic Crescents with only the Mayan in my gallery.

¡Pura Vida!

You can find more of the “Crescents” Butterflies in my BRUSHFOOTS FAMILY of galleries.

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First Afternoon Butterflies

I arrived at Xandari in time for a little snack lunch and was assigned the same room, Villa 19, that I was in last August also for just two nights (they’re expensive is why short stays). See the room gallery for last year if you want to know what it looks like. All rooms are very nice here!

I walked the inner-circle trails photographing only these four butterflies and a whole lot more flowers and other nature which I will share later. It was bright sun and hot all afternoon, which is what butterflies like and there were a lot flying around but not stopping for a photo, especially the yellows and I saw some Julias too, but only these 4 landed where I could photograph. Tomorrow I will walk some deeper forest trails which have different butterflies and birds, though I got no birds this afternoon.  Birds will be in the morning.

Banded Peacock, Xandari Costa Rica, Alajuela

Continue reading “First Afternoon Butterflies”

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Mallow Scrub-Hairstreak

This is my second time to photograph the Mallow Scrub-Hairstreak, Strymon istapa, in my garden. The first time, back in November when one was on a Heliconia flower being attacked and eventually eaten by a Jumping Spider. See that blog post. This one was at the top of my garden along the top of the garden wall, flitting from plant to plant. A tiny, thumbnail sized butterfly in the Gossamer Wings Family, Lycaenidae. See both sets of photos in my Mallow Scrub-Hairstreak GALLERY.

Mallow Scrub-Hairstreak, Atenas, Costa Rica

 

 

Here’s 3 more photos of this guy . . . Continue reading “Mallow Scrub-Hairstreak”

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White Peacock Butterfly

In my garden the other day as one I haven’t seen much of this year. A beautifully simple butterfly unlike his cousin the more flashy Banded Peacock. You may have noticed that I saw one on the birding hike last Saturday also. See my White Peacock GALLERY for some better photos of this normal-sized butterfly.

White Peacock, Atenas, Costa Rica
White Peacock, Atenas, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

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Last Saturday’s Birding Hike

A local friend who has connections with a private religious retreat center in the mountains of Santa Eulalia, Atenas Canton, took me and two other friends last Saturday morning for a really nice birding hike that included all nature!  🙂  You can see the photos at:

https://charliedoggett.smugmug.com/TRIPS/2022-January-21-Sermon-on-Mount-BIRDING

Or if I did it right just click this first page of the gallery . . .

¡Pura Vida!

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Eastern Tailed-Blue

This is another new butterfly species for me! And in my own gardens! 🙂  Eastern Tailed-Blue, Cupido comyntas (linked to butterfliesandmoths website). Like the other blues, it is very tiny, literally “thumbnail sized.” These tiny ones stay mostly in the grass and are very skittish, so I can’t get close-ups, but rather shoot with my telephoto lens and do a pretty big crop to make it visible for the viewer. Like many other butterflies, the top view and folded-wings view are totally different. Below are my shots of both and then you might want to see my gallery of other blues and tiny butterflies like Hairstreaks in my
Lycaenidae – GOSSAMER-WINGS Gallery.

Eastern Tailed-Blue, Atenas, Costa Rica
Eastern Tailed-Blue, Atenas, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

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Polydamas Swallowtail

I see many more of these large butterflies during the rainy season, but the other day this one was flitting about the different flowers in my garden in spite of the wind! He has to eat, windy or not!  🙂

Polydamas Swallowtail, Atenas, Costa Rica
Polydamas Swallowtail, Atenas, Costa Rica
Polydamas Swallowtail, Atenas, Costa Rica

Check out my other shots of this species in my Polydamas Swallowtail GALLERY.

¡Pura Vida!

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Theona Checkerspot

Well, forget that business of the last four days of my “final” butterflies of the season. I keep finding more and even new ones like this beautiful earth toned  “Theona Checkerspot” (Chlosyne theona) in my garden. Another tiny one that stays near the ground in our windy weather now.

Theona Checkerspot, Atenas, Costa Rica
Theona Checkerspot, Atenas, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

And my Butterflies of Costa Rica GALLERIES.

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Late Butterflies – #4 of 4 – Tropical Checkered Skipper

While this is not a common one for me to see, I did see it this month in my garden, so I’m counting it as the fourth “late butterfly.”  The Tropical Checkered Skipper, Pyrgus oileus, has been incorrectly called “Tropical Checkerspot” though it is clearly identified as a Skipper, found throughout Central America and the Caribbean Islands and in most deep south states of the U.S. Here’s two shots from my garden in Atenas:

Tropical Checkered-Skipper, Atenas, Costa Rica
Tropical Checkered-Skipper, Atenas, Costa Rica

See all of my SKIPPERS Galleries.

¡Pura Vida!