Category: Insects

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Ceraunus Blue

This tiny little butterfly was new to me in a September 2022 sighting at Hotel Banana Azul in Caribbean Costa Rica, which I saw again there and in my garden in 2023, Ceraunus Blue, Hemiargus ceraunus! I liked it so much I chose one of my garden shots for the cover of my newest butterfly book, Pura Vida Butterflies, Second Edition released last month.

Of course I also have a Ceraunus Blue GALLERY with shots from all four sightings. Now here’s what I saw the other day in my garden, with two shots, even though not as good as my earlier photos :-)  . . .

Ceraunus Blue, Atenas, Costa Rica — 
And what looks like a black/dark brown corner of the wing is actually a shadow of the leaf above him. :-)
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Flies or Fly-like Insects

That seem to be mating on a leaf in my garden. Just one more intriguing photo from nature! :-)

Flies or Fly-like Insects mating on a garden leaf.

85+ funny insect photos in my More Insects CR GALLERY. Or for more similar to this, go to the sub-gallery Unidentified Other Insects.

¡Pura Vida!

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Cerulean Dancer Damselfly

The Cerulean Dancer Damselfly (Argia anceps), male here, is one of dozens of blue and black damselflies with this one most often confused with the Azure Dancer and the Thorn-tipped Dancer (says the book), but because of the shade of blue, the size and the wing color I am declaring this a Cerulean Dancer! :-) But to be honest, with both damsel and dragonflies, I am seldom 100% certain of the identification and I use a Costa Rica specific field guide with nearly 300 species of damselflies and dragonflies included with photos! You would think that makes it easy, but not for me! The many similarities between species makes identification a challenge for many! This one was photographed on the railing of my terrace in Atenas, Alajuela Province, Costa Rica.

Cerulean Dancer Damselfly, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

See my Dragonflies & Damselflies GALLERY with 50+ species! And many are unidentified! :-)

¡Pura Vida!

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Eastern Tailed-Blue

Another interesting butterfly not often seen, the Eastern Tailed-Blue, Cupido comyntas, in my garden. I have seen him once before in my garden as shown in my Eastern Tailed-Blue GALLERY.

Eastern Tailed-Blue, Atenas, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

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Plain Longtail with Orange Smudges?

I continue to find what appear to be “new” species for me, though this one is pretty much identical to the “Plain Longtail” with the exception of a slightly shorter tail (he could have broken off the tip as he did the 2nd tail) and the “orange smudges” on the wings, large on top and smaller on bottom or side view. I’ll label this the Plain Longtail, Urbanus simplicius and let one of the coordinators at butterfliesandmoths correct me if they believe otherwise. These little detailed differences continue to be an ID challenge for me! 🙂 Here’s 2 shots, one side view & one top view . . .

Plain Longtail, Atenas, Costa Rica
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Saltbush Sootywing

Saltbush Sootywing is the common name and the scientific name is Hesperopsis alpheus. This is a new species for me. And my ID is based on the Glassberg book where it is an exact match, but my photos don’t match the ones on butterfliesandmoths.org for this species, so I will probably be flagged and if so, I hope whomever can give a good identification for this butterfly, IF this ID is not correct. Note that the two photos are of the same insect on the same leaf within seconds apart, but the changing light or capture of the camera has them as two different colors. 🙂

Saltbush Sootywing, Atenas, Costa Rica
Saltbush Sootywing, Atenas, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

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Covadonga Skipper

Pheraeus covadonga is the scientific name and the website uses “Covadonga Skipper” as the common name, while the Glassberg book uses “Etched Solar-Skipper” as the common name. The “etched” in that name refers to the black and white spot that is barely seen in my photo, but that’s what separates it from all of the other little yellow Skippers. And this is a new species for me! 🙂

Covadonga Skipper, Pheraeus covadonga, Atenas, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

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Cobalopsis Nero or Nero Brown Skipper

This is the first of three new species for me that I photographed in my garden on the 17th & 18th of this month! The other two coming in the next two days. At first glance, all brown Skippers seem to look alike, but there are so many variations and this is one of those! 🙂 Butterfliesandmoths.org just uses the scientific Latin name as the common name, Cobalopsis Nero, while the Glassberg book calls it the “Nero Brown Skipper” as a common name.

Cobalopsis nero, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
Cobalopsis nero, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

See all of my SKIPPERS Gallery to see some of the many variations in Skippers, 67 in my gallery alone and there are many more!

¡Pura Vida!

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The Savegre Trip Gallery Finished!

It took longer after this trip to put the gallery together with a lengthy flurry of activities and first of year requirements, but my Christmas Trip of 2023 December 22-28 — San Gerardo de Dota, Hotel Savegre is ready to visit with all my birds, other wildlife, flowers and landscapes ready to view!

CLICK this Gallery Image to go visit it.
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