Costa Rica Butterflies Costa Rica has more butterfly species (1,200+) than birds (900+) due to its warm climate and diverse plant life. Below are butterflies seen during trips in 2016 and 2017 photographed by Dennis Deck, Dan van den Broek, Liam O’Brien, Dennis Paulson, Buck Snelson, Georges Kleinbaum, Karen Kearney, and Linda LaPan. Species identification from our photos was based primarily on Butterflies of Mexico and Central America by Glassberg (2007) plus online sources in difficult cases but errors are possible.
Swallowtails
Montezuma’s Cattleheart Polydamas Swallowtail (Battus polydamas) (Parides montezuma)
Giant Swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes)
Green-celled Cattleheart Variable Cattleheart (Parides erithalion) (Parides childrenae)
Ruby-spotted Swallowtail (Heraclides anchisiades)
Whites and Yellows
Transandean Cattleheart Pink-spotted Cattleheart (Parides photinus) (Parides iphidamas)
Thoas Swallowtail (Papilio thoas)
Wedge-spotted Cattleheart (Parides panares) Mexican Dartwhite (Catasticta nimbice)
M
Green-eyed White (Leptophobia aripa)
Large Orange Sulphur (Phoebis agarithe)
F Great Southern White (Ascia monuste)
Ghost Yellow (Eurema albula)
Common Melwhite (Melete lycimnia)
Apricot Sulphur (Phoebis argante) Cattleheart White (Archonias brassolis)
Golden Melwhite (Melete polyhymnia)
Straight-lined Sulphur (Phoebis trite)
Cloudless Sulphur (Phoebis sennae)
Giant White (Ganyra josephina)
Tailed Sulphur (Phoebis neocrypris)
White Angled-Sulphur (Anteos clorinde)
Statira Sulphur (Aphrissa/Phoebis statira) Hairstreaks Zebra Teaser (Arawacus sepaerata)
Dina Yellow (Eurema dina) Skyblue Hairstreak (Pseudolycaena damo) Red-spotted Scrub-Hairstreak (Strymon ziba)
Barred Yellow (Eurema daira) Zebra Cross-streak (Panthiades bathildis)
Pale Ministreak (Ministrymon una)
Scarce Yellow (Eurema xantochlora) Fine-lined Stripe-streak (Arawacus sito)
Dusky-blue Groundstreak (Calycopis isobeon)
Salome Yellow (Eurema salome)
White-rayed Pixie (Melanis cephise)
Meton Hairstreak (Rekoa meton) Sword-tailed Beautymark (Rhetus arcius)
Red-bordered Pixie (Melanis pixe)
Field’s Groundstreak (Calycopis drusilla)
Great Jewelmark (Anteros kupris)
Orange-barred Pixie (Melanis electron)
Goodson’s Greenstreak ? (Cyanophrys goodsoni) Greater Scintillant (Calephelis sixola) Blues
Iris Calephelis (Calephelis iris)
Ceraunus Blue (Hemiargus ceraunus) Scintillant sp. (Calephelis sp.) Metalmarks
Schaus' Calephelis (Calephelis schaus)
Metalmark sp. Brushfoots
Giant Eyemark (Mesosemia grandis)
Cloaked Scintillant (Detritivora barnesi) Gulf Fritillary (Agraulis vanillae)
Brilliant Greenmark (Caria mantinea)
Mexican Fritillary (Euptoieta hegesia)
Sailer’s Lemmark (Thisbe irenea)
Greenmark sp. (Caria sp.)
Mexican Silverspot (Dione moneta)
Variable Lemmark (Synargis mycone)
Tanmark sp. (Emesis sp.)
Red-spotted Lemmark Juno Heliconian (Dione juno) (Nymphidium onaeum)
Blue Metalmark (Lasaia sula)
Julia Heliconian (Dryas julia)
Blue-winged Sheenmark (Eurybia lycisca)
Sara Heliconian (Heliconius sara) Least Heliconian (Euieides aliphera)
Zebra Heliconian (Heliconius charithonia)
Hewitson’s Heliconian (Heliconius hewitsoni) Lycaste Tigerwing (Hypothyris lycaste)
Mexican Helconian (Heliconius hortense)
Banded Orange Heliconian (Dryadula phaetusa)
Grinning Heliconian (Heliconius cydno)
Heart-spotted Heliconian (Heliconius hecale)
Nonpassionate Heliconian (Euieides procula)
Elf (Microtia elva)
Isabella’s Heliconian (Euieides isabella)
Five-spotted Heliconian (Heliconius hecalesia)
Acting Heliconian (Euieides vibilia)
Variable Crescent (Eresia ithomioides)
Creamy Crescent (Eresio clio)
Theona Checkerspot (Chlosyne theona) Black-bordered Tegosa (Tegosa anieta)
Crimson Patch (Chlosyne janais) Pale-banded Crescent (Anthanassa tulcis)
Tropical Buckeye (Junonia evarete)
Blurry Crescent (Phyciodes nebulosa)
Bordered Patch (Chlosyne lacinia)
Smudged Crescent (Castilia eranites) White Peacock (Anartia jatrophae)
Wide-banded Crescent (Phyciodes tulcis)
Three-banded Crescent (Eresia alsina)
Pointer Sister (Adelpha iphiclus)
Banded Peacock (Anartia fatima) Barnes’ Sister (Adelpha barnesia)
Rusty-tipped Page (Siproeta epaphus) Scarce Sister (Adelpha nea) Smooth-banded Sister (Adelpha cytherea)
Malachite (Siproeta stelenes) Confusing Sister (Adelpha iphicleola)
Yellow-rimmed Eighty-eight (Callicore texa)
Green Heliconian (Philaethria dido) --Placed here for comparison-- Band-celled Sister (Adelpha fessonia)
Six-spotted Eighty-eight (Callicore lyca)
Stitched Sister (Adelpha erotia) Cecropia Sister (Adelpha phylaca)
Common Banner (Epiphile adrasta)
Stoplight Catone (Catonephele numilia) Guatemalan Cracker
(Hamadryas guateamalena)
Starry Cracker (Hamadryas laodamia)
Orange Banner (Temenis laothoe)
Small Beauty (Colobura dirce)
Little Banner (Nica flavilla) Gray Cracker (Hamadryas februa)
Tiger Beauty (Tigridia acesta)
Red Rim (Biblis hyperia) Red Cracker (Hamadryas aphinome)
Bloomfield’s Beauty (Smyrna blomfildia) Whitened Bluewing (Myscelia cyaniris)
Variable Cracker (Hamadryas feronia)
Orange Daggerwing (Marpesia berania)
Jazzy Leafwing (Hypna clytemnestra) Dappled Daggerwing (Marpesia merops)
Waiter Daggerwing (Marpesia coresia)
Tiger Leafwing (Consul fabius)
One-spotted Prepona (Archaeoprepona demophon)
Godman’s Leafwing (Anaea mora)
Many-banded Daggerwing (Marpesia chiron) Two-spotted Prepona (Archaeoprepona demophoon)
Orion Cecropian (Historis odius)
Angled Leafwing (Anaea glycerium)
Ruddy Daggerwing (Marpesia petreus)
Tailed Cecopian (Historis acheronta) Hermes Satyr (Hermeuptychia hermes) Almond-eyed Owl-butterfly
(Caligo brasiliensis)
Pavon Emperor (Doxocopa pavon) Transgressive Saytr (Euptychia jesia)
Split-banded Owlet (Opsiphanes cassina)
Confused Satyr (Cissia confusa) Quiet Diaph (Pierella luna)
White Satyr (Pareuptychia ocirrhoe)
Common/Blue Morpho (Morpho helenor) Red-washed Satyr (Pierella helvina)
Harmonia Satyr (Hermeuptychia harmonia)
Yellow-fronted Owl-butterfly
(Caligo telemonius) White-spotted Satyr (Manataria hercyna) Skippers
Pink-tipped Satyr (Cithaerias pireta)
Disturbed Tigerwing (Mechanitis polymnia) Red-headed Firetip (Pyrrhopyge phidias zenodorus)
Guatemalan Ithomia (Ithomia patilla)
Confused Tigerwing (Mechanitis lysimnia) Red-collared Firetip (Elbella scylla)
Thick-tipped Greta (Greta morgane) Orange-rimmed Firetip (Pyrrhopyge chalybea)
Klug’s Dircenna (Dircenna klugii)
Monarch (Danaus plexippus) Royal Firetip (Mysoria barcastus ambigua)
Heraldica Clearwing (Ithomia heraldica)
Tiger Mimic-Queen (Lycorea cleobaea)
Blue-lined Firetip (Jemadia patrobas) Mechanitis sp.
Guava Skipper (Phocides polybius) Broken Silverdrop (Epargyreus exadeus)
Yellow-tipped Skipper (Astraptes anaphus)
Beautiful Beamer (Phocides belus)
Plain Longtail (Urbanus simplicius)
Frosted Flasher (Astraptes alardus)
Spineless Silverdrop (Epargyreus aspina) White-edged Longtail (Urbanus albimaro)
Gold-spotted Aguna (Aguna asander)
White-striped Longtail (Chioides catillus) Silvered Flasher (Astraptes creteus)
unknown Aguna (Aguna sp.)
Coyote Cloudywing (Achalraus toxeus)
White-patched Skipper (Chiomara asychis)
Mazans Scallopwing (Staphylus mazans)
Golden-snouted Scallopwing Brown Longtail (Urbanus procne) (Staphylus vulgata) Two-barred Flasher (Astraptes fulgerator)
Pale Sicklewing (Anchlyodes pallida)
Long-tailed Skipper (Urbanus proteus)
Short-tailed Flasher (Astraptes brevicauda)
Brilliant Blue Skipper (Paches loxus)
Sharp Banded-Skipper (Autochton zarex) White-tailed Longtail (Urbanus doryssus)
Sharp-banded Skipper (Autochton zarex)
Mexican Longtail (Polythrix mexicanus)
Bluish Mottled-Skipper (Codatractus imalena)
Dark-spotted Polythrix (Polythrix asine) Alana White-Skipper (Heliopetes alana) Sickle-winged Skipper (Achlyodes mithridates)
Falcate Skipper (Spathilepia clonius) Five-banded Skipper (Timochares trifasciata) Radiant Brown-Skimmer (Callimormus radiosa)
Tropical Checkered-Skipper (Pyrgus oileus)
Glassy-winged Skipper (Xenophanes tryxus)
Selenus Skipper (Synapte salenus)
Erikson’s White-Skipper (Heliopetes domicella) M
Pasture Brown-Skipper (Vehilius stictomenes)
F? Dusted Spurwing (Antigonus erosus)
Veined White-Skipper (Heliopetes arsalte)
Latonia Skipper (Cobalopsis latonia)
Skipper sp.
Mella Skipper (Anatrytone mella) Fantastic Skipper (Vettius fantasos) ? Common Glassywing (Pompeius pompeius)
Dun Skipper (Euphyres vestris)
Coruscating Skipper (Oxynthes corusca) Green-backed Ruby-eye
(Perichares philetes)
Common Mellana (Quasimellana eulogius)
Brazilian Skipper (Calpodes ethlius)
Yellow-spotted Ruby-eye (Telles arcalaus)
Eufala Skipper (Lerodea eufala)
Whirlabout (Polites vibex) Mimosa Skipper (Cogia calchaes)
Olive-clouded Skipper (Lerodea dysaules)
(Castniomera drucei) Rich Skipper (Halotus rica)
Skipper sp.
Day Moths (Isostyla zetila) Sickle-winged Skipper (Eantis tamenund)
Predators
Glazed Pellicia (Pellicia arina) (Auotmeris postalbida)
Praying Mantis eating Gulf Fritillary