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This and the following page contain photos of butterflies and other insects from our recent Costa Rica trip. The photos begin with dragonflies and damselflies. Thanks to Dennis Paulson for certain ids. and confirmations.

ODONATA (DRAGONFLIES & DAMSELFLIES)

Stream channel at Esquinas Rainforest Lodge on the eastern side of the Gulfo Dulce in SW Costa Rica. The following five damselflies were photographed here.

A male of Heteragrion erythrogaster-a "flatwing" damselfly in the family Megapodagrionidae. Territorial males were common hanging from leaves or rootlets along the stream. (16 February 2009)

Protoneura amatoria-a threadtail damselfly. Here a female deposits eggs in a floating stem as her mate contact guards her. (16 February 2009)

A territorial male rubyspot (Hetaerina caja). (14 February 2009)

An as yet unidentified female rubyspot (Hetaerina). (16 February 2009)

Another unidentified female rubyspot (Hetaerina). (16 February 2009)

Rhodopygia hinei was fairly common among the numerous kinds of skimmers on a large, sunny pond near our cabin. This male, however, was perched along a sunny forest trail. (Esquinas Rainforest Lodge: 14 February 2009)

This yellow morph female Ischnura capreolus was at the edge of a sunny pond at Esquinas Rainforest Lodge. There were many of these tiny forktails present (16 February 2009)

The following species were photographed at Bosque del Rio Tigre, an ecotourism lodge along the Rio Tigre in the south-central part of the Osa Peninsula.

A pair of Argia cupraurea pauses between bouts of ovipositing in leaf litter in shallow portions of the river (18 February 2009)

This territorial male rubyspot (Hetaerina occisa) was perched over a small pool at the edge of the Rio Tigre (18 February 2009)

This worn female was present at a small pool at the edge of the Rio Tigre. She is either a Jade-striped Sylph (Macrothemis inequiunguis), or a very similar but as yet undescribed species  (18 February 2009)

The dainty Red-faced Dragonlet (Erythrodiplax fusca) was common at pond and stream edges at both Esquinas and Rio Tigre. Nearly all seen were territorial males such as this one (18 February 2009)

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 © Robert A. Behrstock 2018

Images may not be reproduced without the Photographer's permission.