Costa Rica - Interesting discoveries

[Nigel Venters]

I'm just back from my second 4 week trip to Costa Rica this year. The first trip was Mid Feb to mid March...and it was drying out a little...although it still rained most days....this time it was much wetter...the area I visit is Atlantic Lowland rain forest...although a long way inland....and as usual there were a number of surprises for me. 

Does anyone know how I could contact Phillip DeVries to pass him the species list and location? I guess a number of new discoveries have occured since he wrote "The Butterflies of Costa Rica" but to name a few species I found there... and photographed are Prepona dexamenus, Panacea procilla lysimache and Agrias aedon rodriguezi.

According to DeVries, Prepona dexamenus has never been caught in Costa Rica....the Agrias aedon rodriguezi is meant to be very rare..I found it not uncommon...but was in a totally different locallity to his records... Panacea procilla lysimache is considered very rare in all of Central America with only 4 specimens ever been taken...none before in Costa Rica...I found it quite common and was surprised to see the female was sexually dimorphic....the female has a white forewing band and is not nearly so colorful! I took some good close up images of both sexes...I have never seen sexual dimorphism mentioned in any reference to Panacea procilla lysimache...anyone else know? If anyone is interested in the full species list email me direct and I'll send you a copy...plus pictures if you would like to see them.
Nigel
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