One of the more common butterflies all over Costa Rica is this Banded Peacock, Anartia fatima (my gallery link) and as these two recent photos in my garden show, the top of its wings are a very dark brown & red with a brilliant white while the bottom of the wings are paler or a light brown and red. Of course, as always in nature, there are a few exceptions or variations, but not many in this species. See my gallery linked above. It is another of the many species found only in Central America & Mexico.
Banded Peacock, Atenas Alajuela, Costa RicaBanded Peacock, Atenas Alajuela, Costa Rica
. . . BUTTERFLIES that is! Yes, two of the most common butterflies where I live and maybe over most of Costa Rica are the Banded Peacock, Anartia Fatima (only in Central America & Mexico) and the lace-like White Peacock, Anartia Jatrophae (from Argentina up through the deep south of the U.S.). Both names are linked to my galleries of each with better photos I’ve made of them all over Costa Rica. And below is one photo of each made recently in Atenas . . .
It’s April 1 in Costa Rica and the Yigüirro or Clay-colored Thrush are “singing in the rain” says tradition, meaning that next month begins our rainy season or our “winter” (invierno) and it is not only the greener and fresher time of year for me, but the time (May-November) that I see more butterflies, at least at my house in the Central Valley. And this Banded Peacock is one of the regulars here. Here’s an early one who looks a little weathered and I would think that is because of all the wind we’ve had since December. But windless rain is coming along with a lot more butterflies when we experience a “winter” that is more like Spring in the north! 🙂
So on this February 14 I will give these two butterflies human emotions and suggest that the one flying is saying “Please be my valentine!” :-)
They are both Banded Peacocks with male and female looking alike, so I can’t say for sure what the one flying around the other is doing, but it kind of makes a Valentines Day image! :-)
Anthropomorphic Butterfly Valentines – Two Banded Peacocks, Atenas, Costa Rica
And a closeup of the one I’m treating as the female . . .
The Banded Peacock is one of those steady friends you can always expect to be here every year and in this strange weather year, he was again always here, even if in fewer numbers, continuing to add color to my gardens and other places I visited. These two photos were made just before I left for Macaw Lodge and I like how he contrasts with both the green and the yellow leaves as another butterfly with a rich brown color. There will be fewer butterflies now until next May, but fortunately a tropical country has some butterflies year around! And soon my copies of the Second Edition of Pura Vida Butterfliesbook will be here with 240+ species of butterflies, the most of any book available right now! Click that link to order your copy!
Banded Peacock Butterfly, Atenas, Costa RicaBanded Peacock Butterfly, Atenas, Costa Rica
This one is usually very common in my garden, but not this year! This is maybe the fourth time I’ve seen one this year or at least recently. Here’s three photos, all a little different . . .
At one time in the past this was my most numerous butterfly, but not this year! So I was glad to see one in my garden the other day! Here’s three photos I made . . .
Although birds are the biggest category of wildlife for me at Maquenque Ecolodge, there are a lot of other wildlife and on this April trip I photographed 10 species of butterflies with one being a Lifer or first time seen (the Glassy-winged Skipper). Below is 1 photo of each of the 10 species for those who don’t go to separate galleries. Or here’s links to the online gallery with all my butterfly photos from this trip. https://charliedoggett.smugmug.com/TRIPS/2023-April-9-14-Maquenque-Ecolodge/OTHER-ANIMALS/BUTTERFLIES
CLICK above image to see all my butterfly photos GALLERY from Maquenque.
Or below see just one photo of each of the 10 species . . .
The only place I saw and photographed butterflies this trip was in the lodge gardens, totally on their Porter Weed flowers. I managed to capture 9 different species I think, but have only identified the 6 that are included in this post. See them in their own gallery below this anchor shot . . .
Julia Heliconian, Tortuguero National Park, Limón, Costa Rica
