Did you know that butterflies have scales like fish? This was something both me and my Costa Rican husband were surprised to find out during our trip to the Butterfly Conservatory in La Fortuna. We’ve both visited various butterfly farms before and he is quite knowledgeable about the wildlife in Costa Rica, so it was fun to learn something new.

Read on and perhaps you’ll learn something new about butterflies in Costa Rica. At the very least, you’ll get excited to visit and see these gorgeous creatures in person!

Fascinating Facts About Butterflies 

Ever wanted to learn a little more about these gorgeous creatures? Check out these fascinating facts about butterflies in Costa Rica!

1. Butterflies Have Scales — Like Fish

As we just discovered, the butterfly’s scales are what cause the light to glint and flash. There are thousands of tiny scales on their wings — about 600 per mm². And sometimes they flake off as the butterfly flies — which kind of looks like pixie dust falling from their wings. 

The scales help to protect the butterfly and losing them will shorten its lifespan. Unfortunately, the oil from human fingers can loosen these scales and knock more off, so it is best not to handle butterflies as much as possible. 

However, everything in nature has a purpose. The ease with which the scales fall off allows a butterfly to escape certain death when trapped in a spider’s web. It seems like a worthy trade! 

2. Butterflies Taste with Their Feet

It makes sense when you think about it. If they’re going to be tromping around on pieces of fruit and nectar-filled flowers, it might as well be an enjoyable experience!

On a practical note, having taste receptors on their feet make it easier for butterflies to identify plants with the nutrients they need for survival.

3. Butterflies Don’t Live Long

Sadly, the life cycle of most butterflies can be counted in months. On average, adult butterflies only live about 3 to 4 weeks, though their entire life cycle can last from 2 – 8 months. One species of butterfly has it worse than the rest and live only about 24 hours!

4. Butterfly Wings Are Part of Their Defenses

Those weird eye-like patterns some butterflies have on the underside of their wings serve a unique purpose. They help butterflies both blend in with their surroundings as well as confuse predators who may try to look more closely. 

They also may flash their bright colors in an attempt to confuse or scare off predators. And, as I just mentioned, the scales on their wings can help get them out of sticky (spider-webby) situations.

The Incredible Biodiversity of Butterflies in Costa Rica

Costa Rica is home to an incredible array of butterflies, with over 1,200 species having been identified fluttering through its rainforests. These stunningly beautiful creatures come in an array of sizes, shapes, and colors. From bright blues and yellows to intricate designs featuring eyespots or stripes, the diversity of butterflies found in Costa Rica is truly amazing!

This diversity is due to the wide range of habitats found in Costa Rica, from tropical forests to cloud forests and even mangroves. Butterflies are important pollinators and can be found in almost any environment. 

1. Blue Morpho Butterfly

Even if you know nothing about butterflies in Costa Rica, you may have heard of or seen this brilliant beauty. The Morpho Helenor Narcissus butterfly — or Blue Morpho as it is commonly called — is a wonderful sight to behold. 

As you walk (or even drive!) through the rainforests in Costa Rica, keep your eyes peeled and you might see these beautiful butterflies flitting about. The tops of their wings are a brilliant blue color and the light scintillates as they move. 

In April 2022, this beautiful butterfly was declared a national symbol in Costa Rica. Now, the Costa Rican Tourism Institute will be promoting the image and education about this gorgeous creature to raise awareness. 

2. Owl Butterfly

My husband had actually never seen this shy creature until we visited the Butterfly Conservatory in La Fortuna. Though it is the largest butterfly in Costa Rica (up to 20 cm, 7.8 inches), it is nocturnal, which helps explain why it is hard to spot in the wild. 

They are called Owl Butterflies because of the giant spots on the underside of their wings that kind of look like owl eyes. I wonder if they ever confuse the owls when they’re out there flying around! The tops of their wings sport a beautiful purple and yellow pattern that reminded me of Washington State University’s colors. 

3. Glasswing Butterfly

The wingspan of this delicate little butterfly only reaches about 2 – 4 cm or 0.7 – 1.5 inches. It has transparent wings with dark veins and black and white areas around the edges, hence the name Glasswing. 

There are actually 64 kinds of glasswing butterflies, but they all share similar-looking wings so they are hard to tell apart. They are also hard to spot, as you might imagine since they have partially transparent wings!

An interesting thing to note is that glasswing butterflies do not have scales, which is why their wings look different, though they aren’t different. All butterflies actually have transparent wings, their scales are what give them color! 

4. Mexican Bluewing

Though called the Mexican bluewing, this blue butterfly with white stripes can be found from Mexico to Colombia. Thus, there are plenty of these little beauties flitting around in Costa Rica. 

They are medium-sized butterflies with a wingspan of about 64-76 mm or 2.5 – 3 inches. Their favorite food is rotting fruit, so if you’d like to attract these guys to your yard, a mango tree would be a great idea. There are always tons of rotting mangos on the ground no matter how much you try to keep them cleaned up! 

Where to See Butterflies in Costa Rica

There are butterfly gardens and conservatories all over Costa Rica. Here in Quepos, there is one tucked in the jungle at the Si Como No resort. It’s a nice place to spend a short while in the shade, watching the butterflies and taking pictures (if you’re like me!).

There is also Biophilia Park, which has a little larger project. They offer daily tours where you can learn way more fascinating facts about butterflies than what I’ve included here. As a bonus, you can also tour the medicinal garden and learn about some of the useful plants that grow easily in this climate.

I took the photos for this article during our family’s trip to La Fortuna up by the Arenal volcano to the northeast of San Jose. BTW, this is a 6-hour trip at least from La Fortuna to Manuel Antonio which can turn into much longer if the roads are not ideal — which they never are. 

While there, we visited the Butterfly Conservatory. The gentleman at the front desk told us it is the largest butterfly garden in Costa Rica. I can’t confirm, but it was definitely the largest I’ve seen. They had multiple butterfly habitats and a botanical garden as well as a small area for frogs. 

A large turtle pond came next and there were also walking trails through the jungle that are a nice relaxing way to spend an afternoon. We definitely enjoyed our visit and would recommend it!

Butterfly Souvenirs

Before you go, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention some of the unique butterfly souvenirs I’ve designed with my photos. My Blue Morpho Butterfly bag features an image of a blue morpho that I took while visiting Biophilia Park. 

I have this bag myself and love it. Every time we go anywhere, I load up my kids’ spare clothes, snacks, sunscreen, and everything they’ll need for the trip. 

I’ve had it and used it for well over a year at this point and it still looks brand new. It is made of a durable, nylon fabric that is so easy to clean. If anything gets dripped on it, I simply wipe it off with a wet rag and it’s all good!

I honestly can’t come up with anything negative about this bag and I highly recommend it so go check it out in the souvenir shop.

From that same photo, I also designed a gorgeous set of butterfly wing jewelry. This design is available in a set of earrings, a necklace, and a bracelet so you can wear it your favorite way. And because I found the intricate camouflage pattern interesting, I made a set from that side of the blue morph’s wing too!

Curious to learn about other amazing wildlife in Costa Rica? Check out my post on the majestic jaguar here.

Thanks for stopping by!

Until next time…

Cara