Butterflys, Bats and Bugs

Millipede This millipede was seen along the trail of the Sky Walk in the Monteverde Cloud Forest.

Bats These bats were photographed in near dark conditions in the Monteverde Bat Jungle exhibit.

Monarch Butterfly A Monarch Butterfly seen in the Butterfly Garden in Monteverde. (Gallery: Travel Journals > Costa Rica 12 > Butterflys, Bats and Bugs)

Leafcutter Ant A single Leafcutter Ant carying a piece of leaf back to its nest. The leaf will be partially diagested by the ants and then feed to a captive fungas, which in turn is used as food by the ants. (Butterfly Garden, Monteverde, Costa Rica.)

Beetles Eating Butterfly Eggs The white spheres in this picture are eggs from one of the butterflis in the Bufferfly Garden. These two beetles seem to thing the butterfly eggs might make good eating. (Monteverde, Costa Rica.)

Hamadrymas Butterfly A Hamadrymas Butterfly seen in the Butterfly Garden in Monteverde.

Hamadrymas Butterfly Close Up Close up picture of the head of a Hamadrymas Butterfly butterfly. (Butterfly Gardens in Monteverde.)

Crimson Patch Butterfly A Crimson Patch butterfly, from the Butterfly Garden in Monteverde, Costa Rica.

Malachite Butterfly A Malachite Bufferfly seen in the Butterfly Garden in Monteverde.

Orange Julia An Orange Julia butterfly from the Butterfly Garden in Monteverde, Costa Rica.

Female Glass Wing Butterfly Our guide holds a female Glass Wing Butterfly for inspection. (Butterfly Garden, Monteverde, Costa Rica.)

Honey Bees A hive of Honey Bees, living in an old tree, seen along the trail in Manuel Antonio National Park, Costa Rica.

Golden Orb Spider We saw a lot of these female Golden Orb Spiders along the paths in Costa Rica. This one was seen in Manuel Antonio National Park.

Blue Morpho Butterfly The Blue Morpho Butterfly is common, but hard to photograph. When perched, it folds its wings to reveal a dull brown edge coloring. But in flight, the top of the wings shine with a beautiful blue color.

Blue Morpho Butterfly Opening The Blue Morpho Butterfly is common, but hard to photograph. When perched, it folds its wings to reveal a dull brown edge coloring. But in flight, the top of the wings shine with a beautiful blue color (as you can just see here).

Leaf Cutter Ant Highway Here is a trail of Leaf Cutter Ants returning to their nest with freshly cut leaves to feed to their captive fungus.

Female Golden Orb Spider Another picture of a female Golden Orb Spider, this one in Caletas Reserve, Costa Rica.

Common Tent-making Bat We spotted this Common Tent-making Bat sleeping inside a giant fern tree in the Casa Orquideas Botanical Gardens in Costa Rica.

Monarch Catapillers Large catapillers eating leaves in A Sobralia Orchid from the Casa Orquideas Botanical Gardens in Costa Rica. Tenatively identified as the larva of Monarch Butterflys.

Orange Julia on Flower An Orange Julia butterfly on a flower in the Casa Orquideas Botanical Gardens in Costa Rica.