I spent a week in April 2007 at La Selva biological station in Costa Rica. My friends and I shot all the butterflies that would sit for us while chasing birds and robber flies. This beautiful glassywing was seen three to four times at least by me on the forest trails. It is Dulceda polita. It flew low like a satyr and absolutely vanished sometimes in the shade. This flashed shot shows the body through the wings. The blue spot looked disembodied in flight.

A topside shot of another glassywinged species with a fine red posterior blush. This is Cithaerias menander. Another Satyrid of the forest floor. Deep bouncy flight. Note the body focused through the clear wings. Host plant and early stages of this butterfly are unknown.

A side shot which Norm says makes the hindwing look like a Piranha about to take a bite out of you. 

A striking white Daggerwing nectaring on poop. I just waited next to the poop for this fast flying butterfly to return. It was along an open river shoreline. As far as I can determine from Devries this is Marpesia merops. They like rivers. And are much paler on the upper surface than the other daggers.

A member of the big tropical Heliconius group. This is Heliconius doris. They come in yellow and red and blue and green versions. Apparently all color forms can arise from the same batch of eggs. Feeds on Passiflora like most of the group. Really beautiful butterflies.

A smaller Heliconius by nearly half. This is H. sara fulgidus.  Feeds on Passiflora auriculata, which apparently limits its distribution. Shining blue on the inside of the hindwing.

A pair-at-dance shot of another Longwing. This is Eueides lybia olympia. The subspecies on the Pacific side has orange spots instead of white on the forewing. I may have been lucky to find the pair down low as they are apparently canopy lovers. Intolerant of disturbed areas, very little is known of its biology. Though it is said to sleep gregariously.

The longwing mimic that graces the cover of volume 1 of Devries Costa Rican butterflies. This is Mechanitis polymnia isthmia. A female. It is the commonest and most widespread of the Ithomiinae. They feed on Solanaceae mostly. And Solanum most often. Love disturbed areas. The larvae are gregarious.

Another Satyrid (yeah, yeah, I am jumping around) with striking markings and bouncy forest floor flight. This was a big butterfly. It has the fantastic latin name of Pierella helvetia incanescens. Flashes the red inner hindwings when flying.

Same Satyr with the red showing. Like most in this group, you don't often get to see the interior. 

I seemed to favor the Satyrid group. Perhaps because they were flying down where I was. This is a Cissia species. Probably C. metaleuca. That big white band is distinctive. Feeds on grasses.

Yet another Satyr. This is Euptychia mollis. Apparently fairly rare in Costa Rica and in primary rain forest only. This one was certainly in the right habitat. I am not sure this wasn't the only one of this species that I saw there.

I thought this was a Doxocopa, which is a sizeable but rarely seen genus in Central America with at least 9 known in Costa Rica. Apparently this is Nica flavilla (Little Banner). More common and pictured by Devries only on the upperside. Feeds on Sapindaceae. Thanks to Kim Garwood for the correction.

This green and white barred creature is distinctive in the rain forests. Upper forewings have some intense blue that the males show when perched but hide when disturbed. This is Nessaea aglaura aglaura. It is a primary rain forest and swamp forest animal only. Intolerant of disturbed woodlands. It can be abundant at La Selva according to Devries. 

Very likely the cat of the Nessaea above. Found on the trails. Jade green and spiny with those forward longhorns.

Another big genus in the rain forests is Memphis. I looked everywhere for them and frankly expected to see them. And there is an Anaea species in Costa Rica as well but apparently only on the Pacific side. And the Memphis genus is closely related to the Leaf-winged Anaeas. However this turns out to be Caerois gerdrudius, the Gerdrudius Morpho. Found only in deep swamp forest apparently. And fairly rare. Cryptic and solitary, feeds on Socratea durisima in Arecaceae. Also identified by Kim Garwood.

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