Rounded Metalmark

This tiny little butterfly was one of the most seen in my garden last year, but not nearly as much this year. This particular Rounded Metalmark, Calephelis perditalis (my gallery link) I believe is unique to either Costa Rica or Central America and should be a subspecies or new species, but this is where BAMONA says to put it for now and even though the ones on iNaturalist CR are darker, they are certainly in the same family as my usually more brilliantly colored observations (see my gallery). And for what it is worth, I travel all over Costa Rica but have only seen this fellow in my garden here in Atenas, Alajuela. 🙂

Rounded Metalmark, Calephelis perditalis, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
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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! 🙂

Rounded Metalmark

Rounded Metalmark, Calephelis perditalis, is a beautiful tiny butterfly that I’ve seen several times over the years in my garden and this identification is my best effort! I say that, implying some doubt, because my Glassberg book says it has “no white check” on the wing border, although both websites I use have photos of this species with and without the white check, so I’m sticking with this ID for now. The next closest one is in the Glassberg book that is not an official species which he calls “Bright Scintillant (Misol-ha CHP), a Calephelis species” and is probably a sub-species of this Rounded Metalmark. A closer match to this, but I want to put a name on as many as possible and it matches the two websites. Of course no source, book or web, is infallible! 🙂 Here’s one photo for the email version followed by 3 more! Those 2 websites on this species are:

Rounded Metalmark, Atenas, Costa Rica
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Late Butterflies – #2 of 4 – Rounded Metalmark

Thel Rounded Metalmark or Calephelis perditalis is one of several Metalmark butterflies still around my yard late in the season. Like the Satyrs, they stay close to the ground and seem to prefer grass over flowers, thus the wind blowing is not as much of a bother to them. This one is quite colorful and with intricate design work on sides, thus I include a top view, bottom view and a folded-wings or side view.