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| This Grasshopper, like the Leaf-cutter Ants finds my garden to be a cafeteria or at least a dinner plate! |
See my “Other Insects” Photo Gallery
New Unknown Moth
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Unknown Moth
Inside My House, Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica
NOTE how the different light seems to change his color.
All four shots are different colors in my eyes, especially with back-light.
And to tell the truth, the one above one is dead while the others are alive. Some die in my house nearly every night this time of year. Many butterflies/moths only live a few days naturally. |
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| Unknown Moth Inside My House, Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| Unknown Moth Inside My House, Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| Unknown Moth Inside My House, Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica |
I am calling it a moth because the antennae have no little ball on the end like butterflies. The other characteristic is a “furry” body which is hard to tell in these photos but looks like it could be, especially in the top photo. Plus I cannot find it in my new most complete butterfly book for Central America and none of the brown butterflies or moths online match it, so I call it “unknown moth” for now.
And by the way, my computer is working fine right now! Maybe it was the heat and humidity of the coast that caused it to keep turning off every few minutes. Who knows?! Computers!
See my photo gallery of Butterflies and Moths found in Costa Rica and neighboring countries at 53 species now!
Dina Yellow Butterfly +
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| Dina Yellow butterfly My garden, Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica On my “Once de Abril” flower |
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| Dina Yellow butterfly My garden, Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica On my “Once de Abril” flower |
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| Unknown Insect, similar to a Green Orchid Bee except for red tail Caught accidentally while photographing the above Dina Yellow My Garden, Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica |
Here’s a Dina Yellow seen in my garden last year:
http://costaricadecisionprocess.blogspot.com/2015/05/leuce-yellow-butterfly.html
I know, I’m starting to repeat butterflies and even some birds, but hopefully the next few days will be fresh photos as I travel again. John Rasbury is here from TN and just bought a house here in Atenas to rent out as part of his income when he comes back later to retire somewhere in Costa Rica. The next four days we will be in Guanacaste (northwest corner of Costa Rica) where he will look at possible other rent houses in Tamarindo and Flamingo Beach. I’m tagging along and then we will be tourists and do a birding float trip in Palo Verde National Park on a river. Hoping for some new birds in a part of the country I have not been yet.
Sphinx Moth or Hawk Moth
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| Unknown variety of Sphinx Moth or Hawk Moth On my terrace ceiling tonight, Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica |
There are over 1,400 species of this category of moths and I haven’t found a match to this one. But I love the use of different shades of brown God used in painting this guy! It would go with my brown and white bedroom color scheme! 🙂
Malachite Butterfly As Houseguest
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| Malachite Butterfly
Inside My House, Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica
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| Malachite Butterfly
Inside My House, Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica
NOTE: The bottom or wings-folded side is always lighter in color
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And see my Butterfly Gallery with 50 species photographed here.
Black Witch Moth
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| Black Witch Moth On the ceiling of my covered terrace in Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica. Wing span about 5 inches. |
This guy is pretty common and one of the 8,000+ moths in Costa Rica and appears in all parts of the country. He is one of the best travelers, appearing from Florida to Brazil.
Here’s a photo of another one inside my house last November:
And an earlier one that matches the description except for the color but it is a Black Witch:
Cows Munching on Neighbor’s Hibiscus
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| Cow Eating Hibiscus Shrubs 1 of 3 cows in a neighbor’s yard from the cow pasture near me. They get out frequently! Someone comes and rounds them up. 🙂 |
Just another day in the neighborhood! And most of us are glad that this is the most exciting thing to happen in Roca Verde! Another neighborhood, possibly richer, does not have a community gate and guard like us. They have had a couple of break-ins recently. We have had none! I feel very safe.
Simple Beauty
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| Heliconia Bud The hint is almost as beautiful as the exotic tropical flower that will follow in my garden, Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica. Shot from my little garden bench by the door. |
Heliconius Butterfly or Moth?
As you know, some butterflies live only a few days or weeks. And some of those decide to come into my house before they die! I sweep out dead insects every morning! I’ve had more than one of this particular species inside and one I found dead today (1st two photos). I am pretty sure it is in the Heliconia family but can’t place it in one of the known 29 subspecies. It seems to be like a Postman but they are usually red rather than orange with the black and white and different body. It is also similar to the Heliconius Linnaeus and the Heliconius Ismenius, but not exactly! So I’m calling it an Unidentified Heliconius Butterfly or Moth.
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| Moth or Butterfly? Moths have furry bodies like this guy but butterflies usually have brighter colors and club antennae like this. But there are exceptions to all rules and I need an expert to help identify this one! |
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| Back or bottom side of this butterfly/moth. Bottom is almost always totally different than the top side. |
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| They come in my always open doors, then try to get out a closed window screen. Not too smart. |
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| My moving flower arrangements inside. 🙂 |
See My Butterfly Photo Gallery now on SmugMug.
And if you like bugs, see also the Other Insects Photo Gallery all on my new site called
“Charlie Doggett’s COSTA RICA” where eventually I will have all my Costa Rica photos.
My Garden Art a Tourist Attraction?
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| My Garden Art is visited by other residents in Atenas and Anthony, who lives next door, likes to show off his work to friends/clients. |