Category: Plants

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A Long-tailed Skipper?

There are many Long-tailed Skippers but with my book and the internet I am still unable to find an exact match for this specific species in my garden yesterday. At least the butterflies are coming again now! 🙂

The one labeled simply “Long-tailed Skipper” has blue on his back in all ID sources, this one in my photos does not. The Teleus Longtail Skipper is also like this one, without the blue, but has white lines instead of white dots at the top of wings. The devil’s in the details! 🙂 So these photos go in my gallery folder labeled “Skipper, Longtail Unidentified.” (Yes, I have others!) 🙁 And if any reader is certain of the ID, please CONTACT me! 🙂

One of the many Long-tailed Skippers, Atenas, Costa Rica.

And here’s 4 images from my garden yesterday . . .

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A Common Swallowtail Here

The Polydamas Swallowtail (Link to butterfliesandmoths.org) seems to be one of the most common in my garden and one of first showing up early this year! 🙂 I have 28 photos in my Polydamas Swallowtail Gallery, all made in my garden! 🙂

Polydamas Swallowtail, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

Unlike other butterflies here, I have no photos from my many visits to other locations in Costa Rica. These photos were made day before yesterday, May 6, which means it is early for a lot of butterflies, other than Yellows flitting about, and in past years butterflies have peaked at my house in June & July. I’m located in the western foothills of the Central Valley of Costa Rica. I have a trip north of here next week and hope for some different early butterflies there and then on my July trip is to the southwest of the country, maybe something new there, I hope! 🙂

Costa Rica has an incredible variety of butterflies as a part of more than 300,000 insect species, the most for any country it’s size. Part of that is due to our location as a “connecting bridge” of land between North and South America. The above butterfly website shows this particular Swallowtail appearing across the Southern U.S. and throughout Central America and the Caribbean Islands.

Polydamas Swallowtail, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

See all my Costa Rica Butterfly Galleries. 139+ species!

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Seeking Sunlight

That is every plant in my garden and me too for photos! 🙂 I walked through my garden with camera looking for signs of sunlight on plants and here is my collection of 15 shots . . .

Torch Ginger among Morning Glories

And more . . .

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Lavinia Clearwing

Lavinia Clearwing (Hypoleria lavinia) (link to Butterflies & Moths of North America site) or Fuzzy-spotted Ticlear in my book A Swift Guide to Butterflies of Mexico and Central America. This seems to be fairly rare or at least I’m not finding much about it online. This one appeared in my kitchen as I was preparing a ham sandwich, landing first on a bottle of relish then flying to the floor where he seems to be on his last leg, though when I I examine closely the one on the floor seems a little different – hmmm. Anyway, it’s another new butterfly for me! 🙂

Lavinia Clearwing, Hypoleria levinia, Atenas, Costa Rica
Lavinia Clearwing, Hypoleria levinia, Atenas, Costa Rica

See my Costa Rica Butterflies GALLERY.

¡Pura Vida!

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Plateau Spreadwing Damselfly

Here’s my first Damsel or Dragonfly photo this year though not the first seen. They are all hard for me to photograph and to identify, usually! But this time with my handy new book Dragonflies and Damselflies of Costa Rica by Dennis Paulson and William Haber, I managed to narrow it down quicker than usual for me; obviously first to a Damselfly and then by the spreading wings that it is one of the subspecies called “Spreadwing” (most Damsels keep their wings straight by their side) and then with the book’s excellent photos and me having a photo with enough detail like the blue eyes and the brown thorax with white stripe I quickly determined that this is a “Plateau Spreadwing Damselfly” or “Lestes alacer” the technical name of this species found in Central America and parts of North America. I hope to expand my collection of Dragonflies & Damselflies which is already a pretty good start . . .

See my GALLERY: Dragonflies & Damselflies of CR (18+ species identified with many more not identified. Your ID help welcomed!) 🙂

Plateau Spreadwing Damselfly, Atenas, Costa Rica
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The Park Sign

Sure enough, they finally uncovered the park sign last night at 7 pm in the rain without me! But I heard the fireworks go off right at 7 and knew that was the reason. They love to celebrate anything with fireworks here! 🙂

This morning on my way to my one breakfast out a week I detoured by the park for these 3 shots on my cellphone. I know the sun lights up at night and suspect the letters might, but won’t know until I go by there at night. I was not expecting the “little murals” on the letters since other parks in Costa Rica with their town name spelled out like this use solid colors like Alajuela’s red and Heredia’s also red. Thus Atenas is definitely unique in this way! 🙂

ATENAS murals depicting the coffee farming town.

I may describe the murals in more detail later, but in brief, the A: has our National Boyero Monument (Oxcart statue), T: the main Catholic church on the south side of Central Park, E: with three of several historic buildings, N: what appears to be lifestyle images, A: the historic and famous railroad bridge over Rio Grande and S: is their nod to the farmers with sugarcane, coffee and oxen.

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My Park Disappointment This Morning

I went early at 8:30 for what I understood would be an “unveiling” of the new ATENAS park sign and what they were calling a “dedication ceremony.” Nada! After nearly 2 hours downtown I picked up my photos I had left earlier to be printed across from the park and Sr. Chacón there told me that they would not unveil the ATENAS letters until 7 pm tonight (probably in the rain) and I will not go back! I was there mainly to get a photo of the Atenas sign, so I was disappointed! I walked home with my new photos and will maybe go tomorrow to photograph the sign.

!Then the only programming on the stage for the first two hours was the main Evangelical church here in town performing charismatic music like in a charismatic worship service and a hand full of vendors (more like a flea market) – both also disappointing to me. The stage will have more and different kinds of music throughout the day, which is what the city does with all of these all-day fiestas they sponsor, but after I learned the sign would not be un-covered, I got my photos and walked home. 🙂 I will photograph it tomorrow and post just that photo. 🙂

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Pleasant Surroundings

It is fortunate indeed to have neighbors who maintain their property so that all around them are in pleasant surroundings! 🙂 This is just one of the pleasant views uphill from my simple little “casita” rent house in Roca Verde. In spite of recently complaining about a favorite tree removed for a house under construction now (by my landlord), I generally have very pleasant surroundings where I live in the Roca Verde development of Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica known by it’s slogan “Mejor Clima del Mundo” or in English: “Best Weather in the World!” 🙂 A subjective opinion of course! 🙂

Another view uphill from my house.

¡Pura Vida!

Browse my CR Flora & Forest Galleries.

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Guayabo Lodge Gallery

I’ve decided that two weeks of posts on this lodge may be enough, so I’m referring everyone to the gallery which has been ready awhile. Because of so many amazing flowers in their gardens, I may someday go back to more posts on them, but for now other photos from my life in nature in Costa Rica. You may click the image of gallery to go to the gallery or use this link:

https://charliedoggett.smugmug.com/TRIPS/2022-April-3-8-Guayabo-Lodge

CLICK image above to go to my trip gallery on Guayabo Lodge, Turrialba, Costa Rica.

¡Pura Vida!

Or check out ALL MY COSTA RICA TRAVELS.