This was my favorite Bee shot and there is one more from this trip to Maquenque in my Bees Gallery. It is not as good a shot of the bee but on an interesting frilly-white water flower among the lily pads.
¡Pura Vida!
Bee
Common Mexican Tree Frog
While waiting on the guide to get our group together for the boat trip this morning on Rio San Carlos, I noticed someone photographing something in one of the flowerbeds in front of the dining room. I checked it out and got both front and side/back views of this Common Mexican Tree Frog because the flowerbed had a sidewalk on two sides. 🙂 Got a lot of photos on the boat trip, but these two were my favorites today! 🙂 And a new species for me too! 🙂 And notice how different his front and back are! It’s the same frog photographed on the same flower from two directions.
You can read more about this Mexican Tree Frog, (Smilisca baudinii) on Wikipedia. And to see more of my fun frog photos, including several other tree frogs, go to my Amphibians Costa Rica Galleries (50+). 🙂
¡Pura Vida!
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.
Flora Volcán or Pagoda Flower
I planted a Pagoda Flower, Clerodendrum paniculatum, in my yard last year after seeing several large shrubs with many flowers in two or more lodges. (They were introduced here from SE Asia.) Mine seems to be “just hanging on” with two stems shooting up, one flower each, but nothing like what I had hoped for. Maybe this year it will grow into a bush and give me more than just 2 flowers. 🙂 Here’s two shots from the other day . . .
Crab’s Claw Heliconia
The rainy season is the big time for Heliconia flowers and this year in my garden they are massing on one side for some reason. I thought I would share what I see when I look out of my kitchen window while washing dishes! 🙂
¡Pura Vida!
White Peacock Butterfly
¡Pura Vida!
Bee on Wildflower
“To Bee or Not to Bee?” may be his question, as the most necessary pollinator in the world and becoming an endangered or extinct species in some parts of the world. I had fun capturing different views of this one on a wildflower in my garden. For many different species here in Costa Rica, see my Bees Gallery. And below this intro pix is a gallery of 5 images I liked from this nature moment . . .
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 . . .
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 . . .
¡Pura Vida!
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 . . .
