Crab’s Claw Heliconia

The rainy season is the big time for Heliconia flowers and this year in my garden they are massing on one side for some reason. I thought I would share what I see when I look out of my kitchen window while washing dishes! 🙂

Crab’s Claw Heliconia, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica.

¡Pura Vida!

Bee on Wildflower

“To Bee or Not to Bee?” may be his question, as the most necessary pollinator in the world and becoming an endangered or extinct species in some parts of the world. I had fun capturing different views of this one on a wildflower in my garden. For many different species here in Costa Rica, see my Bees Gallery. And below this intro pix is a gallery of 5 images I liked from this nature moment . . .

Bee on Wildflower, Costa Rica
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Julia Heliconian

I think this is one of the more beautiful butterflies that I see all over Costa Rica and is native to Central America down through Brazil with some now in South Texas and Florida. And of course the name reminds me of my loving special needs daughter Julianne who died of kidney failure in 1997, one of a series of tragic losses back then.

See some of my other photos of this butterfly in my Julia Heliconian Gallery. Here’s 3 photos of one in my garden on May 24 . . .

Julia Heliconian, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
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Whirlabout!

Yes, this butterfly whirls about the garden, though not with the same image of a dancer whirling her skirt about the dance floor or stage, but this fun-named skipper butterfly is fun to have in my garden now and then! See more photos, all from my garden, in my Whirlabout Gallery! They are found throughout the southeastern U.S. on south through Central America into Argentina. See others’ photos on butterfliesandmoths. Here’s one photo plus the feature at top . . .

Whirlabout, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

Great Southern White

When I first came to Costa Rica, I had trouble identifying this species, but I’m relatively certain now, with specific characteristics: Turquoise tips on their antennae, yellow spot behind each eye and at joint of each hind wing, bluish-gray body, plus the dark brown or black “arrow-head” trim on the forward wings. The males are otherwise solid white while the females have a slight brownish hue to the white. You can see the differences in my Great Southern White Gallery. These photos are of a male. To help you see all the characteristics, I’ve included here from a recent sighting in my garden, 3 views: Top of wings, bottom of wings and a folded wings side view, the three views I try but seldom get when photographing all butterflies. 🙂

Side View, Folded Wings, Male Great Southern White, Atenas, Costa Rica
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2 New Daggerwing Butterflies Came Together

Walking back home from “Central” (what they call “downtown” here) along 8th Avenue in Barrio Boquerón, there were two bright orange butterflies that I thought were the same species, but later evaluating my cell phone photos of them on the computer, I realized the differences in the two species and my photo collection of 2 previous Daggerwings just doubled to 4! 🙂 Here’s one photo of each and you can go to my galleries to see the other shots, including one of the two together which is also the feature photo at top . . .

Ruddy Daggerwing, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
Pale Daggerwing, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

And oh yes, those other two Daggerwings I photographed away from home on two different rainforest trips (1 north & 1 south) . . .

No end to cool butterflies here! 🙂

¡Pura Vida!