Butterfly on lantana flower

Costa Rica has 1,250 different species of butterflies. Here is a butterfly flapping its wings on a lantana flower. Butterflies usually rest with their wings closed, or at times pause with their wings all the way open. I selected this photo because it caught the wings in motion, showing the color on both sides and the body of the butterfly.

Lantana grow from the American Southwest through to Brazil, although they have also been introduced in south Asia, the Pacific islands and Africa.

Butterflies polinate lantana plants. Hummingbirds also visit lantana for nectar. Lantana bloom all year round. The bushes reach a mazimum of about 1 meter (3 ft.) in height, and are widely used to add color to the border of walkways and driveways. The lantana shrubs were I stopped to catch this photo of a butterfly was along the sidewalk in front of our Langosta beach condo.