The Little Yellow – Pyrisitia lisa (my gallery link) is much more common in the eastern half of the U.S. than here, but he’s here too! 🙂
¡Pura Vida!
Little Yellow
Laverna Metalmark
I used the iNaturalist A-I to hep identify this which, if correct is a new species for me. Laverna Metalmark, Calephelis laverna (iNaturalist link) is similar to other Metalmarks in my Metalmarks Gallery. I haven’t submitted it to iNaturalist yet, to see if the identifiers there agree with this ID. Here’s two shots from Calle Nueva . . .
¡Pura Vida!
Heraldica Clearwing
The Heraldica Clearwing, Ithomia heraldica (my gallery link) is a common-looking orange & black butterfly that’s found only in Costa Rica and Panama say some sources, while others say from Columbia to Mexico. Either way, mostly Central America. Here’s a couple of shots from my trek on Calle Nueva the other day.
Banded Yellow
or at least I am pretty sure that is the identification, Banded Yellow, Eurema elathea (my gallery link) and it is common to have all of these different colors (white, tan, yellow, orangey), but without a view of the top of wings (to see yellow & brown bands) it is difficult for an exact ID as there are others similar to this in the Pieridae family of butterflies. 🙂 Here’s four shots from Calle Nueva, all 4 different colors (but I think the same species) . . .
2 Butterfly Peacocks
seen on Calle Nueva that morning are the same as what I have regularly in my garden. Check out my photo collections in their two galleries with better photos than these two:
Barred Yellow that’s not very yellow
This Barred Yellow, Eurema daira (my gallery link) was in bright sunlight and thus the nicer colors that you can find in my gallery weren’t seen on that morning. 🙂
¡Pura Vida!
Begin Calle Nueva Report
A week ago yesterday I used that Saturday morning to walk about 10 blocks to just past Colegio Technico (our technical high school) to the entrance of the old dirt farm road named “Calle Nueva” with the hope of some butterflies different from my garden’s. I got 10+ species (about half were different and one was a new species!) which I will share here over the next few days . . .
This first one, Variable Cattleheart, Parides erithalion (my gallery link) is the most colorful from that 3 hour hike! 🙂 Here’s just two shots. Go to the above gallery for more.
Genus Strymon
When iNaturalist “Identifiers” (participants with expertise in butterflies) can’t accurately identify a photo, they will often generalize and give it a subfamily or genus label to put it under, and thus I am doing that also, especially with photos that don’t have enough details to be sure of the identity. And I’ve already started adding galleries for genus and subfamily for cases like this.
This one is almost definitely in the Genus Strymon (Scrub-Hairstreaks), but I’m not able to tell which species. Maybe someone will be able to on iNaturalist after I post it there or on BAMONA where I have to just click “unable to identify.” And both sites have people who maybe will identify is as a species. If interested, I have identified 5 species in this genus in my galleries:
- Yojoa Scrub-Hairstreak, Strymon yojoa
- Mallow Scrub-Hairstreak, Strymon istapa
- Lantana Scrub-Hairstreak, Strymon bazochii
- Megarus Scrub-Hairstreak, Strymon megarus
- Red-spotted Scrub-Hairstreak, Strymon ziba
And yes, today’s photo may be one of these or another Strymon not shown above. 🙂
¡Pura Vida!
Cassius Blue
One of those tiny Hairstreak family of butterflies, the Cassius Blue, Leptotes cassius (my gallery link) may be a regular this year. I shared one in early April who was sitting on the wet black-topped driveway.
¡Pura Vida!
Blue-gray Satyr
This Blue-gray Satyr, Magneuptychia libye (linked to iNaturalist Costa Rica where there are 307 observations of this species which is a new species for me!) and it makes my 22nd species of Satyrs! 🙂 My galleries for these are at the bottom of the Nymphalidae – BRUSHFOOTS Family Gallery, my largest family of butterflies, though just a little larger than the Skipper! 🙂
¡Pura Vida!
And more about those migrants that the U.S. dumped on Costa Rica . . .
Continue reading “Blue-gray Satyr”