The Common Spurwing, Antigonus erosus (my gallery link) is like several species with the top and bottom sides of the wings being totally different which you can see in this set of just 3 photos . . .
Common Spurwing
Polydamas Swallowtail’s back!
I’m beginning to see some of the old “regulars” back in my garden when the wind is not too strong, but overall, butterflies are still scarce and I don’t expect a lot before May. But I’ve had at least two of these Polydamas Swallowtail, Battus polydamas (my gallery link). Here’s 3 shots of one individual in my garden recently . . .
Nature & Life . . .
Nature photography is a good hobby, but it was never a money-maker, not in Tennessee when I tried for a few years there (I always spent more on it than I ever made!) – nor the brief time I tried here. But the joy of creating has never been lost. And though I don’t sell greeting cards anymore, some are still at Hotel Colinas del Sol as a contribution to a sometimes struggling local business there. Go help them out! 🙂
But anyway, a photo of a new butterfly the other day had me going back and looking at that solid green background more than once, wanting to make a greeting card with it. And the butterfly with his red antennae seems to be laser focused on something. So here it is! Created just for you dear blog reader! And who knows, I may do it again! 🙂 It’s fun!
“Adopt the pace of nature.
Her secret is patience.”
–Ralph Waldo Emerson
¡Pura Vida!
Dark Calephelis Butterfly
This Dark Calephelis, Calephelis velutina (linked to my gallery) seems to be fairly rare, with this being my third sighting and not very many have been submitted to iNaturalist CR or butterfliesandmoths.org. This one was in my garden while the last one was in the neighborhood on Calle Nueva. And my first sighting was in Cartago Province at Guayabo National Monument. Here’s two different views of this Metalmark Family butterfly species from Monday in my garden . . .
¡Pura Vida!
Blomfild’s Beauty
Trying to eat from a hummingbird feeder in my garden. And pretty badly damaged on one wing. The Blomfild’s Beauty, Smyrna blomfildia (my gallery link) is a fairly common butterfly that I usually see a couple of times a year. Just one shot . . .
¡Pura Vida!
Buckeye & the Water Hose
When watering the other day this Tropical Buckeye, Junonia zonalis (linked to my gallery) was hanging out on and around the water hose. So I had to go get the camera! 🙂 The Buckeye has always been one of my tropical favorites since the first one I saw in the Florida Everglades many years ago. There are 3 or 4 varieties of the Buckeye, but all are similar and this is the one we have here in Costa Rica. Here’s 3 totally different views of this “Hose Buckeye” . . .
New Butterfly Species . . .
. . . for me! Not rare or that unusual, but the first one I’ve seen. Photos of 235 individuals in Costa Rica are posted on iNaturalist. And a lot from all over on butterfliesandmoths. Saw him today at midday on my Cecropia Tree. Not seeing as many butterflies or birds with the continued high winds. And it was a strong gust of wind that had him flying away too quickly to catch a shot of the top of wings which are dark brown with bright orange in the middle. Orion (Cecropian) – Historis odius are his English common names & scientific name. The common name here in Spanish is Mariposa lumbrera (Light Butterfly). And even in the wind, there are many nature discoveries to be found! 🙂
¡Pura Vida!
Eastern Tailed-Blue
Not real common, though I’ve seen at least 3 other times in my garden, the Eastern Tailed-Blue, Cupido comyntas (linked to my gallery) has before been almost totally blue on top with less brown than this one, but with research, I’m confident that this set of photos is properly identified, even though Ceraunus Blue has more brown like this, it has a totally different set of black dots. Plus one article says that females are more brown, so maybe this is a female! 🙂 And all photos are of the same individual. Plus, interestingly, every time I’ve seen this species, it has been in grasses and never yet on a flower. 🙂 Here’s 3 photos . . .
Hermes Satyr
This has been one of the most common butterflies in my garden and maybe they are starting to return early! 🙂 For at least two years I called it a Carolina Satyr, which most sources say appears only in the Eastern U.S. while from Mexico south the almost identical butterfly is the Hermes Satyr and I have yet to learn the difference in the two, other than their locale. I expect to see a lot more in the coming months. See more of my photos of this beautiful work of “brown art” in my Gallery Hermes Satyr.
¡Pura Vida!
Rare “Pale Sailor” Butterfly
This sailor (one of several “sailor” species) has been seen in my garden before and one other place in Atenas (8th Ave) plus my last previous sighting was in Cahuita National Park in Caribe Sur last October. See all my photos of this species in its own gallery: Pale Sailor, Dynamine agacles core. And yes, it seems to be a little rare with only one other person posting on butterfliesandmoths dot org and only 6 people on iNaturalist Costa Rica. So not an everyday butterfly! 🙂
Here’s three shots of one last Saturday in my garden . . .
