This was my bucket list trip; I have long wanted to see Costa Rica and its renowned collection of wildlife.
This was a specific dragonfly hunting trip meticulously researched and planned (as always) by Phil Benstead, with whom I have visited Australia on a couple of occasions. My route took me from London, through Amsterdam on KLM to San José. It’s an 11-hour flight from Schiphol to SJO in Costa Rica so I splashed out on business class. Sadly, my investment did not help my baggage getting on the plane; it was repatriated with me four days later so the beginning of this trip was a little unsettled. Finally, I could change my clothes, use my monopod and recharge my batteries so the trip settled down.
There are very many biological research stations and reserves in Costa Rica many of which, La Selva in particular, are fantastically diverse places. As a result, I believe my catalogue has increased by almost 80 species. My Wellington Boot wearing companions would have snagged quite a few more (about 120).
As usual, here’s my Google map plotting the locations of interest.
Hotel Villa Zurqui, 5 Jun [#1]
We stayed here on the first night after arriving in San José. It’s a very basic hotel which has an air of being completely disorganized; Phil had booked through booking.com. It’s advantage, other than price, is that it has a pond beside a river in its grounds. These produced some interesting species to kick of with. The Mountain Flatwing (Heteragrion majus) was quite spectacular.
- Anisagrion allopterum (Middle American Pearlwing)
- Argia anceps (Cerulean Dancer)
- Argia elongata (Thorn-tipped Dancer)
- Hetaerina cruentata (Highland Rubyspot)
- Heteragrion majus (Mountain Flatwing)
- Libellula herculea (Hercules Skimmer)
- Palaemnea distadens (Carrillo Shadowdamsel)
- Remartinia luteipennis (Malachite Darner)
La Selva BIological Station, 6-8 Jun [#2]
The jewel in Costa Rica’s crown as far as I’m concerned. We stayed here for three nights in three of their very good guest lodges with breakfast included, and a very fine breakfast it was, too. As well as being entertained by a large collection of odonata, I was entertained in the early mornings by the calls of a troupe of Howler Monkeys calling to each other as they foraged in the trees surrounding our lodges. I would go back here in a heartbeat. I was pleased to see a Bromeliad Helicopter Damselfly, though it wasn’t the largest or most colourful Helicopter.
- Acanthagrion speculum (Costa Rican Wedgetail)
- Argia adamsi (Varied Dancer)
- Argia pulla (Purple Dancer)
- Elasmothemis cannacrioides (Ruddy Streamskimmer)
- Erythemis peruviana (Flame-tailed Pondhawk)
- Erythrodiplax kimminsi (Chalk-marked Dragonlet)
- Gynacantha tibiata (Gold-tipped Darner)
- Hetaerina caja (River Rubyspot)
- Haeterina miniata (Red-striped Rubyspot)
- Heteragrion erythrogastrum (Red-and-Black Flatwing)
- Leptobasis vacillans (Red-tipped Swampdamsel)
- Lestes scalaris-tikalus (Wedge-striped Spreadwing)
- Mecistogaster modesta (Bromeliad Helicopter)
- Micrathyria atra (Black Dasher)
- Micrathyria catenata (Dark-fronted Dasher)
- Micrathyria dictynna (Even-striped Dasher)
- Neoneura amelia (Amelia’s Threadtail)
- Nephepeltia phryne (Spine-bellied Dryad)
- Perithemis electra (Golden Amberwing)
- Perithemis undescribed (Dancing Amberwing)
- telebasis digiticollis (Marsh Firetail)
- Uracis fastigiata (Large Woodskimmer)
Reserva biológica Tirimbina, 9 Jun [#3]
We called in here en route to our next overnight accommodation at Iguanitas Lodge in Boca Tapada. We were lucky enough to get a steer from a local guide, Manuel, to a good dragonfly pond technically behind the reserve. It became known to us as Manuel’s Pond and proved to be quite productive. Given the two combined, I’d say this was one of my favourite stops. We bumped into the Dancing Flatwing, which is an undescribed Perithemis psecies.
- Argia johannella (Bristle-tipped Dancer)
- Cannaphila insularis (Gray-waisted Skimmer)
- Erythrodiplax abjecta (Andagoya Dragonlet)
- Erythrodiplax kimminsi (Chalk-marked Dragonlet)
- Ischnura capreolus (Tiny Forktail)
- Micrathyria dictynna (Even-striped Dasher)
- Micrathyria ocellata (Square-spotted Dasher)
- Orthemis cultriformis (Swamp Skimmer)
- Perithemis electra (Golden Amberwing)
- Perithemis undescribed (Dancing Amberwing)
- Psaironeura angeloi (Wispy Threadtail)
- Telebasis filiola (Striped Firetail)
- Uracis imbuta (Tropical Woodskimmer)
La Laguna del Lagarto Eco-Lodge, 10 Jun [#4]
This is one of Dennis Paulson’s hangouts. Dennis wrote the US Dragonflies and Damselflies Field Guides (two volumes: East and West) and the Field Guide to the Dragonflies and Damselflies of Costa Rica. Dennis also maintains the World List of Odonata. It proved to be both decent for odonata and a decent place for lunch. Having lunch there gains you access to the grounds behind a gate complete with security guard.
This list includes some suspects that we found at roadside stops driving to and from the lodge. The spectacular Amazon Sapphirewing (Zenithoptera fasciata) was one such.
- Erthemis peruviana (Flame-tailed Pondhawk)
- Erythemis plebeja (Pin-tailed Pondhawk)
- Erythrodiplax andagoya (Andagoya dragonlet)
- Hetaerina titia (Smoky Rubyspot)
- Idiataphe cubensis (Metallic Pennant)
- Micrathyria aequalis (Spot-tailed Dasher)
- Micrathyria debilis (Peten Dasher)
- Orthemis discolor (Carmine Skimmer)
- Zenithoptera fasciata (Amazon Sapphirewing)
Reserva biologica Camino a San Juan, 11 Jun [#5]
Another reserva biologica that we visited as we were leaving our Boca Tapada base and heading for Santo Domingo. This is a delightful environment with a good sized lake with good access around the margins and complete with a small covered jetty to give some shade from the sun. One of the more interesting species here is a Nehallenia, one of which we have in Europe though I’ve never personally seen it. The Brilliant Redskimmer (Rhodopygia hinei) was also very impressive.
- Erythrodiplax fusca (Red-faced Dragonlet)
- Micrathyria debilis (Peten Dasher)
- Nehalennia minuta (Tropical Sprite)
- Rhodopygia hinei (Brilliant Redskimmer)
Tilapiera Los Laguitos y Restaurante Rrio Celeste, 12 Jun [#6]
Due to inclement weather we made a couple of what were frankly abortive trips to the Parque Nacional Volcán Tenorio. To assuage our disappointment, we enjoyed an excellent tilapia lunch at this restaurant and, having fish ponds and a small stream in its grounds, from a dragonfly viewpoint this came to a little bit of a rescue, too.
- Dythemis sterilis (Brown Setwing)
- Ischnura capreolus (Tiny Forktail)
Parque Nacional Palo Verde, 13 Jun [#7]
My suspicion is that this park should be a wonderful place but sadly that remains a theory because on the day we tried to visit the park itself was closed. We did, however, manage a decent haul on the 20-ish kilometre drive to and from the park on a gravel road with a good and varied collection of habitat at its verges. The Great Pondhawk (Erythemis vesiculosa) was particularly abundant.
- Argia oenea (Fiery-eyed Dancer)
- Elasmothemis cannacrioides (Ruddy Streamskimmer)
- Erythemis vesiculosa (Great Pondhawk)
- Erythrodiplax funerea (Black-winged Dragonlet)
- Ischnura hastata (Citrine Forktail)
- Neoneura amelia (Amelia’s Threadtail)
- Orthemis discolor (Carmine Skimmer)
- Orthemis levis (Slender Skimmer)
- Pantala flavescens (Wandering Glider)
- Telebasis isthmica (Green-eyed Firetail)
Rincón de la Vieja Volcano, 14 Jun [#8]
Now on the so-called Pacific slope of Costa Rica, this was our second attempt at a volcano looking for montane species and I’m happy to say that it was a much more successful visit. Being very keen on gomphids, Phil was very pleased to find a Lowland Knobtail (Epigomphus tumefactus).
- Argia anceps (Cerulean Dancer)
- Argia chelata (Big Blue Dancer)
- Argia oculata (Oculate Dancer)
- Brechmorhoga vivax (Masked Clubskimmer)
- Epigomphus tumefactus (Lowland Knobtail)
- Miocora chirripa (Chirripo Cora)
- Orthemis schmidti (Red-tailed Skimmer)
- Phyllogomphoides bifasciatus (Two-striped Leaftail)
Lomas de Barbudal Biological Reserve, 15 Jun [#9]
This was an interesting reserve with free entry but was much more interesting for those armed with Wellington boots; in walking boots my own access was a little more limited. These were on the access road (gravel) to and from the main site.
- Orthemis discolor (Carmine Skimmer)
- Erythemis atyala (Black Pondhawk)
- Erythemis vesiculosa (Great Pondhawk)
Catarata Llanos del Cortés, 15 Jun [#10]
This is a popular public swimming hole beneath a sizeable waterfall. Despite the disturbances of Joe Public, there is surrounding waterside vegetation providing a home for some odonata. Another of Costa Rica’s flatwings, the Red-and-Black Flatwing (Heteragrion erythrogastrum) was present here.
- Argia translata (Dusky Dancer)
- Heteragrion erythrogastrum (Red-and-Black Flatwing)
- Neoneura amelia (Amelia’s Threadtail)
Reserva Curi Cancha, 16 Jun [#11]
Despite the weather not being particularly favourable, this was one of the stars of the trip, in my opinion. During a couple of breaks in rain, there were two ponds and the main one of these provided a decent collection of odonata and even a huge blue Morpho butterfly sitting with its wings open. One of Costa Rica’s many rubyspots, the Highland Rubyspot (Hetaerina cruentata), looked good here.
- Archilestes grandis (Great Spreadwing)
- Brechmorhoga rapax (Amber-banded Clubskimmer)
- Epigomphus suboptusus (Common Knobtail)
- Hetaerina cruentata (Highland Rubyspot)
- Micrathyria ocellata (Square-spotted Dasher)
- Philogenia peacocki (Blue Flatwing)
- Remartinia luteipennis (Malachite Darner)
- Sympetrum illotum (Cardinal Meadowhawk)
- Telebasis garleppi (Montane Firetail)
La Reserva Bosque Nuboso Santa Elena, 17 Jun [#12]
After a dreadful early visit to Reserva Biológica Bosque Nubosa Monteverde which had poor weather and, in our view, was poorly managed and something of a rip-off (the entry fee is per trail, not the reserve), we found some respite from both the weather and entrance fees on the road up to this reserve. The streams crossing the road were a good hunting ground. It was interesting to see a cousin of our darters here: the Cardinal Meadowhawk (Sympetrum illotum).
- Argia medullaris (Sky-blue Dancer)
- Brechmorhoga pertinax (Masked Clubskimmer)
- Brechmorhoga rapax (Amber-banded Clubskimmer)
- Rhionaeschna psilus (Turquoise-tipped Darner)
- Sympetrum illiotum (Cardinal Meadowhawk)
Valley Trip, 18 Jun [#13]
A trip down into a valley from Monteverde di not prove the most scintillating. I had more interest from butterflies and a Boa Constrictor but here’s the one decent dragonfly picture that I managed.
- Brechmorhoga praecox (Slender Clubskimmer)
Road to Sardinal, 19 Jun [#14]
This was a 2nd road stop (the first was not worth it) on our way back to San Jose airport. There were two interesting species on a rocky river which, again, could have been added to given Wellington boots. The White-tailed Sylph (Macrothemis pseudimitans) was welcome inclusion.
- Argia oenea (Fiery-eyed Dancer)
- Macrothemis pseudimitans (White-tailed Sylph)
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