Category: Butterflies

Butterflies photographed in Costa Rica and nearby

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Mexican Sailor Butterfly

The Mexican Sailor, Dynamine postverta, (one book calls “Four-eyed Sailor”) is another new butterfly species for me and one of several in the Dynamine Genus. The only other one I’ve seen and photographed before this is the Pale Sailor,  Dynamine agacles core, (my gallery link) and I have seen it in three different locations on both slopes, including my garden once. They are a dainty and beautiful genus of butterflies with about a dozen different species in Central America, all with “sailor” in their common English name. 🙂

Here’s the only shot I got of this Mexican Sailor . . .

Mexican Sailor, Dynamine postverta, Maquenque Eco Lodge, Boca Tapada, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

Maquenque Eco Lodge Website

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New Species: White-striped Longtail

I shake my head in amazement that I keep getting photos of new butterfly species in my own garden in the little coffee farming town of Atenas in the Central Valley of Costa Rica. But here is another one seen last week for the first time: White-striped Longtail, Chioides albofasciatus (linked to my gallery with more photos). And you can see on the butterfliesandmothsMAP that they’ve only been reported from the SW U.S. and Mexico until now, but they are know to appear as far south as Argentina.

White-striped Longtail, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
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Julia Heliconian

I think this is one of the more beautiful butterflies that I see all over Costa Rica and is native to Central America down through Brazil with some now in South Texas and Florida. And of course the name reminds me of my loving special needs daughter Julianne who died of kidney failure in 1997, one of a series of tragic losses back then.

See some of my other photos of this butterfly in my Julia Heliconian Gallery. Here’s 3 photos of one in my garden on May 24 . . .

Julia Heliconian, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
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Whirlabout!

Yes, this butterfly whirls about the garden, though not with the same image of a dancer whirling her skirt about the dance floor or stage, but this fun-named skipper butterfly is fun to have in my garden now and then! See more photos, all from my garden, in my Whirlabout Gallery! They are found throughout the southeastern U.S. on south through Central America into Argentina. See others’ photos on butterfliesandmoths. Here’s one photo plus the feature at top . . .

Whirlabout, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

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Tropical Checkered Skipper

The Tropical Checkered Skipper, Burnsius oilius (my gallery), is found from the southern U.S. Gulf Coast south through Central America to Argentina. Here’s some recent shots from my garden . . .

Tropical Checkered Skipper, Atenas, Costa Rica
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Great Southern White

When I first came to Costa Rica, I had trouble identifying this species, but I’m relatively certain now, with specific characteristics: Turquoise tips on their antennae, yellow spot behind each eye and at joint of each hind wing, bluish-gray body, plus the dark brown or black “arrow-head” trim on the forward wings. The males are otherwise solid white while the females have a slight brownish hue to the white. You can see the differences in my Great Southern White Gallery. These photos are of a male. To help you see all the characteristics, I’ve included here from a recent sighting in my garden, 3 views: Top of wings, bottom of wings and a folded wings side view, the three views I try but seldom get when photographing all butterflies. 🙂

Side View, Folded Wings, Male Great Southern White, Atenas, Costa Rica
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Black-winged Dragonlet

Not your everyday dragonfly! But my second time to see a Black-winged Dragonlet, Erythrodiplax funerea (linked to my gallery & the other photo made at Banana Azul in the Caribbean).

Black-winged Dragonlet, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

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Veined White Skipper

This is a first sighting for me of the Heliopetes arsalte, Veined White Skipper (linked to butterfliesandmoths.org) or you can see more shots from this sighting in my garden in my own Veined White Skipper Gallery. Here’s 3 different views of this butterfly . . .

Veined White Skipper, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
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