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! 🙂

Yellow-rimmed Skipper

The Yellow-rimmed Skipper, Aethilla lavochrea (my gallery link where I have more photos from other sightings) is found from Mexico through Central America to Columbia, thus a mostly Central American butterfly and Costa Rica is central in it’s range. Evidently not many people are seeing and photographing this species, since most websites that even include it, have only 1 or 2 photos. Plus at butterfliesandmoths dot org all the photos are mine except for 1. 🙂 Here’s 3 photos from this April 2024 sighting . . .

Yellow-rimmed Skipper, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
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Tropical Checkered Skipper

The Tropical Checkered Skipper, Burnsius oileus, (my gallery link) is another fairly common butterfly in the past that has returned to my garden for this year. Here’s just one shot and you can see more in the above linked gallery. They are found along the U.S. Gulf Coast south to Argentina. See photos from other places on butterfliesandmoths.

Tropical Checkered Skipper, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

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Cassius Blue

Another one of those tiny little butterflies and the second time for me to see the Cassius Blue, Leptotes cassius (my gallery link), both times this year! I keep being surprised with new species and during a year with an extra hot and windy pre-rainy season! But fortunately, the rainy season has started and my garden is happy! Along with the birds and butterflies! 🙂 And here’s 3 shots of the Cassius Blue with different light, shading and details . . .

Cassius Blue, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
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Wildflowers or Weeds?

All of these are tiny that have just popped up between my planted flowers or even in the grass that wasn’t cut by the weedeaters. They all attract butterflies and I think some of them are beautiful in their own simple ways. Below, after one shot, is a gallery of 6 different species.

Wildflower or Weed Flower? Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
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2 Days of Butterflies

These 6 photos of 6 species were made on April 18 & 20, processed a week later and being ahead on my blog posts, they just now make it to you! 🙂 I was really photographing a lot during the weeks before my Arenal trip and now my photos and thus blog posts are sort of backed up. But I will catch up and maybe slow down a little or be more selective in which photos I share. Sorry, but I want to share all of them! 🙂 I will put these 6 butterflies in a little gallery below this one introductory shot.

Dina Yellow, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
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Lirio Caminante, Trimezia gracilis

Thanks to one of the volunteers on iNaturalist, I now have a species name for that “cute smiling” flower I photographed at Arenal last month. The scientific name is Trimezia gracilis and the most used common name is Liro Caminante, with a less-used common name of Falsa Orquidea. You can see a map of where they are found around the world and read more information about them on PlantNet.org. Here’s that one photo again and I’m proud to be first to share it on iNaturalist! 🙂

Lirio Caminante, Trimezia gracilis, at Arenal Observatory Lodge & Trails, Costa Rica.

¡Pura Vida!

Matthew’s Groundstreak

This is my second sighting of Matthew’s Groundstreak, Rubroseratta mathewi (linked to butterflies and moths where only one other person has confirmed a sighting). It is another one of those tiny, fingernail-sized butterflies here. I continue to be amazed by the variety of butterflies right here in my own garden that are expanded more when I travel! For the photos of my other sighting and one more from this, see MY GALLERY: Matthew’s Groundstreak. Here’s one shot from this April sighting . . .

Matthew’s Groundstreak, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

Well, I must endure the presence of a few caterpillars if I wish to become acquainted with the butterflies.
-Antoine de Saint-Exupery, The Little Prince

¡Pura Vida!

And my Costa Rica Butterflies GALLERIES.

Megarus Scrub-Hairstreak

This is my second time to see this rare butterfly, with the other time being in the south of the country near Golfito at Playa Cativo Lodge on Golfo Dulce at Piedras Blancas National Park AND I am the only person to have submitted any photos of it to butterfliesandmoths.org (Link to their page for this butterfly.) Or you can see the same photos in my gallery for the Megarus Scrub-Hairstreak, Strymon megarus. 🙂 Here’s four shots from a recent sighting in my garden . . .

Male Megarus Scrub-Hairstreak, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
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