Tag: Alajuela

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Giant Butterfly Moth

I’ve seen this large daytime moth several times in my garden & house and the only other place was at Esquinas Rainforest Lodge near Golfito on the Pacific Coast. The other day I saw two, one on my Cecropia Tree and another injured one hiding among plants in my garden. When not wanting to be seen, they are this plain beigey brown color with off-white spots and bars. But when they fly or lift their forward wings, the hindwings are a bright orange and white. You can see this from earlier sightings in my GALLERY: Giant Butterfly Moth, Castniomera atymnius (linked to the gallery). Just two shots here from this November sighting.

Giant Butterfly Moth, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
Giant Butterfly Moth on Cecropia Tree trunk, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

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Spiders . . .

. . . are almost no one’s favorite wildlife, even though they are an important part of ecology and eliminate other less desirable insects. I try to photograph many of them that I see at home and when traveling which can be seen in my Spider Gallery of photos. Here’s two of the lastest seen at my house, one inside and one outside . . .

Genus Kiekie Spider, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
Golden Orbweaver Spider, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

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Red-headed Firetip

I’ve seen this one only one other time and just the top of wings then, which are a bright blue, while this folded wing view shows the underneath side of wings to be brown. He is the Red-headed Firetip, Pyrrhopyge zenodorus (linked to my gallery). Photographed yesterday across the street from where I live.

Red-headed Firetip, K’s Zinnia Garden, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
Red-headed Firetip, K’s Zinnia Garden, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

And yeah, I know, the top of this one seems to be more brown than blue, so maybe one of nature’s exceptions. You can see a bright blue one in my gallery linked above. 🙂

¡Pura Vida!

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Bordered Patch

One of the many “Patches” and “Crescents” that I love, the Bordered Patch, Chlosyne lacinia (my gallery link) is found from Argentina to much of the western portion of the U.S.A. They can vary in colors from a rich gold or yellow through all the oranges to a bright red along with the black & white. You can see some of the variations on butterfliesandmoths and just a few in my linked gallery above. Another Costa Rica treat! 🙂

Bordered Patch, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

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Rounded Metalmark

This tiny little butterfly was one of the most seen in my garden last year, but not nearly as much this year. This particular Rounded Metalmark, Calephelis perditalis (my gallery link) I believe is unique to either Costa Rica or Central America and should be a subspecies or new species, but this is where BAMONA says to put it for now and even though the ones on iNaturalist CR are darker, they are certainly in the same family as my usually more brilliantly colored observations (see my gallery). And for what it is worth, I travel all over Costa Rica but have only seen this fellow in my garden here in Atenas, Alajuela. 🙂

Rounded Metalmark, Calephelis perditalis, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
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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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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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Maquenque 2024 Trip Gallery

Being quarantined at home with Covid means I can give more time to finishing my photos from the July trip to Maquenque Eco Lodge and I now have that “Trip Gallery” finished, which I’m pleased with. It is Costa Rica Trip #121 and I continue to feel my trip galleries are the best.

You can click on the first page below to go there or if prefered, here’s the web address: https://charliedoggett.smugmug.com/TRIPS/2024-July-4-9-Maquenque-Eco-Lodge

CLICK on above image to go to the trip gallery.

¡Pura Vida!

And Maquenque Lodge Website