Butterflies all over

Butterflies are one of Costa Rica's most colorful creatures. With 1,500 different species of butterflies and 12,000 different species of moths, the numbers are astonishingly high. Costa Rica has 90% of all Central American species and 18% of the entire Earth's population. From the central valley of San Jose to the top of every mountain and volcano, you can spot these fragile creatures.

This big one is a giant swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes) and the small one is a Julia butterfly (Dryas iulia).Read more