Tag: rounded metalmark

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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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Rounded Metalmark

The Rounded Metalmark, Calephelis perditalis (my gallery link) is a tiny butterfly that has been a regular in my garden in the past, though this was the first one I’ve photographed since February, as we have entered a new greener rainy season. It is found from Central Texas south through Mexico & Central America. Just one photo here. See more in my above linked gallery or see what the Texas ones look like on butterfliesandmoths. 🙂

Rounded Metalmark, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

I’m scheduled to go to Xandari Resort in Alajuela tomorrow for just 2 nights and it has been one of my best butterfly places, so there may be a lot more different ones coming from there soon! 🙂

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The Colorful Brown

One of the few butterflies that are still hanging around is the Rounded Metalmark, one of my most seen tiny butterflies this years and unlike a lot of the brown Skippers, he/she is a “colorful brown” to me. I like blue and brown together with the orange and those big beady eyes! And he’s only a little larger than my thumbnail! 🙂

Rounded Metalmark, Atenas, Costa Rica

More in my Rounded Metalmark GALLERY.

¡Pura Vida!

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Today’s Lone Butterfly

This morning’s walk through the garden revealed only one butterfly, but a favorite! 🙂 The Rounded Metalmark, Caliphelis perditalis, (linked to my other gallery shots), a tiny butterfly in the Riodinidae or Metalmark family of butterflies about the size of two of my thumbnails. I love the rich blend of blue, orange and brown colors and in my gallery you can see some shots of his “cute” bug-eyed face! 🙂 Surprisingly, the only place I’ve seen this species so far is in my garden here in Atenas. 🙂

And yes, butterflies seem to be fading (moving or dying off) a little earlier this year than usual. I will be interested to see if there are more in the “wilder” forest preserve I will visit next week at Macaw Lodge adjacent to Carara National Park. And hopefully more birds there too! 🙂

Rounded Metalmark, Atenas, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

And an interesting announcement in our online English-language newspaper, Tico Times, this week: Travel & Leisure Magazine Named Costa Rica the 2024 Destination of the Year!

Or better yet, go directly to the Travel+Leisure articles on Costa Rica!

¡Pura Vida!

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Rounded Metalmark

Rounded Metalmark, Calephelis perditalis, is a beautiful tiny butterfly that I’ve seen several times over the years in my garden and this identification is my best effort! I say that, implying some doubt, because my Glassberg book says it has “no white check” on the wing border, although both websites I use have photos of this species with and without the white check, so I’m sticking with this ID for now. The next closest one is in the Glassberg book that is not an official species which he calls “Bright Scintillant (Misol-ha CHP), a Calephelis species” and is probably a sub-species of this Rounded Metalmark. A closer match to this, but I want to put a name on as many as possible and it matches the two websites. Of course no source, book or web, is infallible! 🙂 Here’s one photo for the email version followed by 3 more! Those 2 websites on this species are:

Rounded Metalmark, Atenas, Costa Rica
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Bright Scintillant or Rounded Metalmark?

In the Glassberg book, this matches what Jeffrey Glassberg calls the Bright Scintillant, a Calephelis Species, but my butterfly websites don’t list it as an official species, so I continue to list it in the next closest match, Rounded Metalmark, Calephelis perditalis, though I think it should be listed as a separate subspecies. Most of the characteristics of these two are the same with the Bright Scintillant obviously being brighter and also the border fringe is brown and white checkered, while the Rounded is one solid color. But I’m not in charge of naming butterflies, so I label them the best I can with what information I do have. 🙂 Here’s four shots of one recently in my garden and be aware that he is tiny, only a little larger than my thumbnail . . .

Rounded Metalmark, Atenas, Costa Rica
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Rounded Metalmark

One of my favorite tiny butterfly designs is on this Rounded Metalmark, Caliphelis perditalis. And it is rare to see any butterfly on a Plumbago flower because they are sticky and could trap some small butterflies like this one. But notice the intricate design on his wings! Another “Nature as Art!” 🙂 See my Rounded Metalmark GALLERY.

Rounded Metalmark, in my garden, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
Rounded Metalmark, in my garden, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!