Another beautiful butterfly in my garden that I have only occasionally is the Mexican Yellow, Eurema mexicana. Here’s 3 slightly different shots of this soft, simple and pastel butterfly . . .
Simple & Handsome Mexican Yellow
Another New Species!
To be so windy and the lesser time of year for butterflies, I keep being amazed at the number of new butterflies I find in my garden, mostly the tiny ones. Depending on my source of information, this one has two common names, Halcyon Hairstreak or the one I have to use: Halciones Hairstreak with all sources using the same scientific name of Ostrinotes halciones. All Hairstreaks have that wiry tail to make predators think it is the head.
This species is found in both Central and South America from Mexico to Brazil, but my photo will be the first on butterflies and moths dot org, if they add the species that I’ve requested. I have about 5 requests waiting to be approved like that. The huge number of species of everything in Costa Rica continues to amaze me! It is one of the most diverse locations on the planet! The exact middle location between North & South America. I’m posting 4 photos of this new-to-me species . . .
2 Contrasting Flowers
There are not many flowers more different from each other than this Heliconia and the Desert Rose in my garden that I snapped the other day while looking for butterflies. The Heliconia is so typical of Costa Rica, found from coast to coast, mainly in tropical lowlands but also other places. While the Desert Rose is a specialty pot plant rather atypical of Costa Rica that I got from my old friend and neighbor Anthony, years ago when he returned to the states. Since he has now died, it is sort of a living memorial to him. It’s rather delicate, requiring morning sun only and not too much water to keep blooming. It’s a faithful favorite for me!
And 2 shots of the Desert Rose . . .
Continue reading “2 Contrasting Flowers”Nature’s masterpiece in every leaf . . .
Flora & Forest GALLERIES.
Leaves & Nature Things GALLERY
¡Pura Vida!
My Garden Fairies
Well . . . they sort of look like little fairies, the White Peacock Butterfly, Anartia jatrophae, which have been one of my staple butterflies this year. Here’s 3 of my shots of these lacy-like butterfly the other day.
Another Rounded Metalmark
These very tiny little intricate-patterned butterflies have been another one of my regular butterflies this year and I really like them! With wings folded they are about the size of my thumbnail. Here’s just one shot from my garden the other day.
See more in my Rounded Metalmark Gallery.
¡Pura Vida!
The Gratifying Guarumo!
It is definitely one of my favorite trees in Costa Rica, if for no other reason, an opportunity to photograph their beautiful leaves, both dead and alive as in this photo. They attract many birds from the tiny Euphonias to the Toucans and their openness makes them great “galleries” for photographing birds and sloths! Some of my best bird photos were made in the Guarumo or Cecropia Tree that I planted in my yard the first year here, 2015.
I have them pictured in several popular photo galleries:
- Guarumo/Cecropia Tree (1,294 visits before today)
- Leaves and Nature Things (329 visits before today)
- Trees (1,864 visits before today)
- And of course in many of my CR Trips! galleries. 🙂
- The number of gallery visits are since February 2022 when the counter was added to my galleries.)
Here’s one shot I made the other day from my terrace . . .
¡Pura Vida!
Violet-frosted Skipper
Though this one does not have the violet color as my other sighting of this species did, I believe this is the correct ID and most of the others posted online do not have the violet color. Violet-frosted Skipper, Mnasicles geta, link to my gallery on this one. And like many others I’ve found here, I think that there should probably be multiple subspecies of this one with different colorations.
And link to all my Costa Rica Butterflies galleries.
¡Pura Vida!
Anthropomorphic Valentines?
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! :-)
And a closeup of the one I’m treating as the female . . .
Continue reading “Anthropomorphic Valentines?”Blue-spotted Hairstreak
Instead of such an obvious “Common Name” (above) the source website names that I have to use for BAMONA, which doesn’t already have this butterfly in their database yet, is whatever BOA (butterfliesofamerica) has in their listing and their “common name” is Augustinula Hairstreak with the scientific name of Denivia augustinula. So that is the ID you will find in my personal gallery (which I try to keep in sync with butterfliesandmoths). In my gallery I have more photos from this past Sunday morning’s new discovery for me at Augustinula Hairstreak Gallery where there is an interesting rear shot with a long shadow of the insect. 🙂
For the serious student of butterflies, the Glassberg book uses the common name of “Blue-spotted Greatstreak” and another scientific name used online: Theritas augustinula. Plus, for what it is worth, I found a 3rd scientific name being used online of Thecla augustinula. :-) You can see why identification sometimes drives me crazy! 🙂 Just one photo here and you can go to my gallery for more.
¡Pura Vida!