Animals of the Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica

Butterflies

Costa Rica harbors near 1.500 species of butterflies and 12.000 moths in the Lepidoptera order. The best time to observe butterflies in Costa Rica is during rainy season, from June to November.

The most famous butterfly in Costa Rica is the Blue Morpho with its bright neon-blue iridescent wings and a wingspan of up to 15 cm.

The largest butterfly in Costa Rica is the Owl Butterfly who can have a wingspan of up to 20 cm. It takes its name from the owl eyespots on the underside of its wings which scare off predators.

See also: Caterpillars

Moths

The difference between a butterfly and a moth isn't only that the first ones fly by day and the second at night.

• The butterflies feed when they are adults, while moths already ate the necessary while they were larvae.
• The butterflies also rest with their wings folded - the moths do it with open wings.
• The butterflies form a pupa that hangs, the moths form a bud that rests on the floor.