Category: Insects

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Muted Colors Julia & Health Update

The Julia Heliconian Butterfly always has beige or muted colors on the bottom of the wings, but this one photographed in my garden in July seemed “muted” all over, most likely because of the sky or sunlight that particular day. It gave this particular butterfly a feeling of calm, sophistication, and nostalgia, I think. Evoking a sense of subtlety.

Muted Colors Julia Heliconian, Atenas, Costa Rica

See how bright an orange the top wings can be in my gallery: Julia Heliconian. And 2 more shots of this one . . .

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New Moth Species for me . . .

This Medarda’s Virbia or Stoll’s Tiger Moth – Virbia medarda (my gallery link with 4 more photos). It just came up on my terrace and died under my breakfast table one night last week. So I photographed him with both cell phone and camera and began the search for an identification. Not a lot of information about this little guy online or in books. The most photos online are in iNaturalist Costa Rica (35). Here’s just two of my photos, a top view and an underneath view.

Underneath View – Virbia medarda, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica.
Top View – Virbia medarda, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica.

¡Pura Vida!

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Blue-winged Eurybia

I’ve seen this colorful Metalmark Butterfly in only two places: my garden in Atenas and at Xandari Resort in Alajuela. There are some good photos of the top of the wings in my gallery: Blue-winged Eurybia, though I kind of like this front/side view that shows off his brilliant blue eye circled in orange. 🙂 You can’t tell wildlife how to pose for a photo, but take whatever you get in the sometimes very brief time seen.

Blue-winged Eurybia, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica (on an Anthurium flower)

¡Pura Vida!

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Titan Sphinx Moth . . .

. . . is sometimes called a “Hummingbird Moth,” though I think it looks more like a “flying shrimp;” 🙂 but whatever, it is an interesting visitor to my garden and this year in June (2025) makes only the 3rd time I’ve seen it. Here’s two photos from this sighting and see my earlier photos in the GALLERY: Titan Sphinx Moth.

Titan Sphinx Moth, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
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A Simple Beauty – Statira Sulphur

The Statira Sulphur, Phoebis statira OR Aphrissa statira (linked to my gallery) may be considered rather plain by some people, but I think the ones like this with clean, simple features are very attractive. While others of this species, that you can see in my gallery, have some brown trim on their wings and a brown spot in the forward wing. I haven’t learned yet if that is a sexual difference (common in many species) or just is in some of this species. Only this one “clean” image in today’s post. 🙂

Statira Sulphur, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

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A Zebra in Costa Rica?

Wellllllll . . . it is a Zebra Longwing or Zebra Heliconian BUTTERFLY! 🙂 (Linked to my gallery.) And this one is the first I’ve seen in my garden and only my third in Costa Rica, with the other two at Xandari Resort Alajuela and El Castillo-Arenal in the Butterfly Conservatory. The scientific name is Heliconius charithonia and it is found throughout South & Central Americas up into the southern half of the U.S. At the time of this writing in June, 490 had been observed & photographed in CR on iNaturalistCR.

Zebra Longwing, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
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Crassus Swallowtail

This is a new species for me and evidently not seen by many since it is not even listed on BAMONA and I am only the 4th person to report observing one on iNaturalist Costa Rica. And of course I think mine are the best photos! 🙂 The Crassus Swallowtail, Battus crassus is found from Costa Rica south to parts of Venezuela & Ecuador. The most photos are found on iNaturalist Ecuador, with 27 observations, while Panama has 5 and Venezuela 4 like us. See all 10 of my photos of this unique butterfly in my GALLERY: Crassus Swallowtail. Here’s just two of those shots . . .

Crassus Swallowtail, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
Crassus Swallowtail, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

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Late June Flower

Below this email version photo is a gallery of 14 flower photos I made during the last 2 weeks of June. Yeah, I’m catching up on old photo blog posts written earlier. 🙂 Enjoy!

Maraca Flower or Shampoo Ginger
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Ismenius Tiger

Or “Tiger-striped Longwing” as the 2 general common names with 6 different sub-species listed on iNaturalist. For this one from my garden I have not identified the sub-species yet, though in my gallery I have photos of the ssp. Clarescens which is endemic to Southwestern Costa Rica (Pacific Coast). See more images in my gallery Ismenius Tiger. Found only in Central American.

Ismenius Tiger, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
Ismenius Tiger, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

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Esquinas 2025 GALLERY Completed!

CLICK above image of the gallery 1st page to visit it or use the address below.

Or if you prefer, use this address: https://charliedoggett.smugmug.com/TRIPS/2025-July-1-6-Esquinas-Rainforest-Lodge

I consider these “Trip Galleries” the best of all my photo galleries where I put only the best photos from that experience. Then I link some of these photos to subject galleries such as a bird species gallery, etc. The trip galleries can also be of help if you plan a trip to one of these wonderful places I visit here in Costa Rica! 🙂

¡Pura Vida!