Mystery Insect

Yes, I too think it is probably one of the thousands of brown Skippers, but all the books and websites making ID dependent on the wing patterns with top and side views, this “in your face” photo does not help me to identify him! But I still thought it an interesting photo worth sharing! 🙂

Unidentified Insect, possibly a Skipper Butterfly, Atenas, Costa Rica

Depending on what you think it is, check out what else is in my Costa Rica Galleries on:

  • Butterflies & Moths, 216+ species
  • Other Insects, 82+ species
  • In both groups you will find lots more “Mystery Insects” or unidentified species. And anytime you think you know the identification of one of these unidentified photos, please CONTACT me!

¡Pura Vida!

Unidentified Tiny Tan

And maybe that would be a good name for this one, “Tiny Tan.”  🙂  And for you butterfly specialists, it almost has the tail of a hairstreak but not the lines or colors and thus is probably one of the enumerable Skippers! But I could not find this one in my book! Here’s 3 photos of one in my garden the other day . . .

Unidentified “Tiny Tan,” Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

Continue reading “Unidentified Tiny Tan”

Mystery Insect with Shin Pads?

There are thousands of different species of insects in Costa Rica and I have no idea what this one is that I caught the other day in my garden on a Plumbago flower (Most insects don’t land on it because it is sticky and they can get stuck!). AND he appears to have little yellow shin pads or knee pads. Hmmm? Every day in Costa Rica nature there is a new discovery!  🙂

Unidentified Insect, Atenas, Costa Rica

Unidentified Insect, Atenas, Costa Rica

I will put him in my Unidentified Insects GALLERY where there are 34 species now with some much more colorful and interesting. Please contact me if you can identify any of them!

🙂

¡Pura Vida!

 

Unidentified Moth or Skipper

I have the largest book I can find on butterflies and moths in Costa Rica and yet I continue to find and photograph live specimens not in my books nor can I find on the many websites – a little frustrating for someone who likes to label everything! 🙂 But anyway, here’s my newest unidentified butterfly/moth found in my garden in Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica:

On the outside wall of my house by the garden, Atenas, Costa Rica

Because I expect to be able to identify all my butterfly/moth photos, I’m frustrated:

“Expectation is the mother of all frustration. “

~Antonio Banderas

🙂

¡Pura Vida!

All my CR Butterfly/Moth Galleries

Unnoticed Browns & Golds

And unidentified for me! Skippers take up almost half the pages in my butterfly ID book, 119 pages with only 161 pages for all the other butterflies! Plus browns & golds are a dominant color on possibly most of them, so you will forgive me for not finding these two Skipper butterflies in the book for identification. In my galleries I have identified seventeen different specific Skippers and have only one gallery for Unidentified Skippers with only 7 in it. 🙂 There is a general article on all 3,500 known Skippers on Wikipedia.

Skipper, Atenas, Costa Rica
Skipper, Atenas, Costa Rica

You thought I was going to run out of unique butterflies didn’t you? 🙂 Well, when I do I will go to other nature and the birds have been mostly away from my house the last week or so. And I will keep looking for more butterflies! My Costa Rica Butterflies Galleries. I have all the Skippers together alphabetically, Skipper, name; Skipper, next, etc.

¡Pura Vida!

Hummingbird Moth

This is a totally new butterfly or moth for me that I photographed yesterday in my garden. It has some characteristics of a Skipper, though not the shrimp-like face, the double plumes on the tail nor the wide white belt around his waist. It is not in my books nor can I find it online. If any reader knows, please contact me with CONTACT button on the main menu.

POSTSCRIPT 29 JUNE: I originally titled this “Flying Shrimp?” and posted it on FaceBook where two people gave me the correct name of Hummingbird Moth – Thanks to Don Walzel and Ron Box who shared this link:

https://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/pollinators/pollinator-of-the-month/hummingbird_moth.shtml?fbclid=IwAR2d7rCCyeOiTNdIoe6zPRVyCosQ0iG_BmSyRn8XGpPSUBtx5GSYaeu1JwI

See my Costa Rica Butterfly Gallery.

¡Pura Vida!