Broken Silverdrop

Another nice Skipper Butterfly is this Broken Silverdrop,  Epargyreus exadeus or Epargyreus cruza (my gallery link) a unique butterfly found in both Central and South America. Here’s two shots made recently in my garden . . .

Broken Silverdrop, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
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White Satyr

I’ve not seen as many Satyrs this year as in the past, but maybe they are starting to appear now. In my BRUSHFOOTS Galleries you can see that I have photographed 22 different species of Satyrs (at the end of that folder) and this White Satyr, Pareuptychia ocirrhoe (my gallery link) is one of the more frequently seen species for me. Just this one photo from my garden last Saturday . . .

White Satyr, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

Great Southern White

The “Southern” in the name doesn’t refer to just the deep south of the U.S. but also to further south as in Tropical America (Central & South + Caribbean Islands) where you can also find this butterfly. See some more of my photos made here in Costa Rica in the GALLERY: Great Southern White – Ascia monuste. Here’s two shots of the same butterfly in my garden with different light, making it look like two different insects!

Great Southern White, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica.
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Gray Cracker

This Gray Cracker,  Hamadryas februa (my gallery link) is one of 5 different species of Crackers I have photographed in Costa Rica, every single one on a tree trunk, and they can all be seen in my Brushfoot Galleries. This one landed on my Cecropia Tree the other day for just a few seconds before flying off, with me getting only two shots at an angle. And yes, I know that he is not literally “gray,” but the previous one photographed that was even more of a tan color. He is identified by specific spots and not the overall color. Just one shot . . .

Gray Cracker, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

Laverna Metalmark

What I (and others) have been calling “Rounded Metalmark,” I now believe are Calephelis laverna (scientific name), Laverna Metalmark, Calephelis laverna (my gallery link). A Google AI summary of searches on the differences in Rounded and Laverna Metalmarks show the wing patterns to be almost identical with possibly “minor differences in genitalia and primary difference being the geographic distribution.” With Rounded Metalmarks found in Texas and Mexico and Laverna Metalmark (some sites use just “Calephelis laverna”) residing in Central America and parts of South America, especially noted in Costa Rica by the AI. Thus I am moving all of my Rounded Metalmarks to Laverna. Here are two photos of the one seen in my Garden Wednesday (side view & top view) . . .

Laverna Metalmark (Calephelis laverna), Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
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Malachite

This Malachite, Siproeta stelenes (my gallery link) was seen the other night inside my house on the window screen along with that Rusty-tipped Page shared in yesterday’s blog post. Both are in the Genus Siproeta or generally called “Pages.” Thus yesterday I called them “cousins” traveling together. 🙂 Here are two shots in different night lights, one on my camera and one my cellphone.

Cellphone: Malachite butterfly, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
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Rusty-tipped Page

One of two butterflies inside my house on a window screen 3 nights ago, this Rusty-tipped Page, Siproeta epaphus (my gallery link) was on the same window screen with a Malachite (cousins on the same page of the butterfly book) which I will share later. It has been almost a year since I’ve seen one of these and they are more impressive with wings open as you can see in my above-linked gallery. Just the one shot in the dark with a flash.

Rusty-tipped Page, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

Giant White

There are many Whites and some are easily confused, but this one seems to be the most common in my garden and you can see other photos of it in my Gallery: Giant White, Ganyra josephina. Here’s 2 photos (when possible, I always try to get a side view & top view) of the one in my garden 3 days ago . . .

Giant White, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
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Tropical Buckeye

Another favorite that is not seen every day in my garden is the Tropical buckeye, Junonia zonalis (my gallery link with better images). This first one seen since May this year and not as good photos as others in the gallery.

Tropical Buckeye, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
Tropical Buckeye, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

¡Feliz Día de la Madre a las madres de Costa Rica!

This Julia reminds me of Juli

This brilliant orange butterfly, Julia Heliconian, Dryas julia (my gallery link) sometimes reminds me of my beaming special needs daughter, Juli, who died of kidney failure in 1997. She too was brilliant, hyper-active and unpredictable! 🙂 And only parents of other special needs children know what I mean. 🙂 She was the only true love in my life at that time and I will always miss her! Pura vida!

Julia Heliconian, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
Julia Heliconian, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

My living room remembrance of Juli from “Compassionate Friends” support group.