Blue Morpho Butterfly. What an Amazing creation of Mother Nature!

The Magnificent Blue Morpho butterfly is the most conspicuous and well-known rainforest butterfly. It lives in Costa Rica among other tropical rainforest areas.  This butterfly distinguishes itself by the amazing iridescent blue on the upper side of its wings; however, on the underside, they are brown.  They fold back their wing in such a way that the bright blue is hidden, leaving the brown side with many eye spots to blend with the background as a form of camouflage against predatory birds like the jacamar and flycatcher, which are the adult butterfly’s natural predators; besides, their fast, irregular “tipsy-doodling” flight makes them difficult to pursue. 

The blue morpho is among the largest butterflies in the world, with wings spanning from five to eight inches.  Their vivid, iridescent blue coloring is a result of the microscopic scales on the backs of their wings, which reflect light.  When the blue morpho flies, the contrasting bright blue, and dull brown colors flash, making it look like the morpho is appearing and disappearing.  The males’ wings are broader than those of the female are, and appear to be brighter in color.  Blue morphos, like other butterflies, also have two clubbed antennas, two fore wings and two hind wings, six legs and three-body segments: the head, thorax, and abdomen.

The butterflies pass through four stages of development in their cycle to reproduce: the blue morpho butterfly starts its metamorphosis as an egg and then hatches out as a caterpillar or larvae.  

The caterpillar eats a lot as they grow and spins silk threads to make a cocoon, this stage is called pupa or chrysalis, later on, the butterfly comes out of the chrysalis.  The blue morpho butterfly has the habit of sleeping at night and moves during the day.  They can fly and walk.

The blue morpho’s diet changes throughout each stage of its life cycle.  As a caterpillar, it chews leaves of many varieties, but prefers to dine on plants in the pea family.  When it becomes a butterfly, it can no longer chew, but drinks its food instead.  Adults use a long, protruding mouth part called a proboscis as a drinking straw to sip the juice of rotting fruit, the fluids of decomposing animals, tree saps, fungi, and wet mud.  Blue morphos taste the fruit with sensors on their legs, and they "taste-smell" the air with their antennae, which serve as a combined tongue and nose.

Blue morphos are severely threatened by deforestation of tropical forests and habitat fragmentation.  Some humans represent a direct threat to this spectacular creature because their beauty attracts artists and collectors from all over the globe who wish to capture and display them.  In Costa Rica, blue morphos can be seen on both coasts; however, on the Pacific side of the country, they are more abundant in the rainy season while on the Atlantic side, morphos are more visible during the dry season. 

No matter when you visit Costa Rica, most likely there will be a Blue Morpho Butterfly ready to greet you.

When you come to Costa Rica, make sure you include in your itinerary a visit to the Butterfly Botanical Gardens in Manuel Antonio, http://www.wildliferefugecr.com/

The Butterfly Botanical Garden is a large, mesh-covered conservatory – a multi-level living laboratory.  Inside the net, there are strategically located tropical plants and flowers, each one chosen for the specific role they play in the life cycle of butterflies.  Butterflies bob, weave, float, and zigzag everywhere, and sometimes they land on your shoulder.  It is very cool to see these insects in their natural environment.

"Costa Rican Orchids"Most Exotic Flowers in the world.

Have you ever seen Orchids without feeling that they are the most beautiful, the most sensual, and the most exotic flowers?  I grew up having that thought about orchids.  Living in Costa Rica has increased my admiration for Orchids, and has given me the gift of being able to grow them, enjoy them, and share them. 

I felt so blessed the other day by receiving four little Catlleya Orchids  from my neighbor, he  started them from cuttings form older plants just a month ago, he gave them to us just because he had too many and wanted to share.  Wow!  What a nice gift!

Orchids are, by far, the largest and most diverse family of plants that produce flowers and although they do not grow on top of glaciers or in the hottest deserts, they appear just about everywhere on earth.  Central American countries have been blessed with an enormous number of orchids and Costa Rica has the richest abundance of these breathtaking beautiful flowers.

Over 1,200 distinct species of orchid plants have been identified in Costa Rica alone and many others are likely to be discovered, and formally identified.   

Of course, it is not a surprise that the country’s national flower is in fact the "orchid", a species called by the nationals” La Guaria Morada” ("Guarianthe skinneri").  This Orchid grows in almost every Costa Rican home.

Costa Rica has all the right conditions for orchids to thrive, the combination of heavy rainfall, high humidity, warm tropical temperatures, and tropical breezes, make possible to have so many varieties.

Typically, a tropical orchid seed in the wild will take growth on the trunk of a tree, and if all these conditions are right, the orchid seed will sprout and grow into a beautiful adult orchid.  At any time of the year it is possible to find dozens of species in bloom, from sea level to the highest mountain.  

There is no best time for viewing orchids, although the beginning of both the dry season (especially in the wettest rainforest's regions) and the wet season are particularly favorable. 

Orchids are not only the largest family of flowering plants, they're also the most diverse; some of them flower for only one day; others last several weeks.  If you are an orchid lover, you might want to visit the cloud forest; there you will find the greatest diversity, due to the humid environment, and elevation they are abundant as tropical epiphytic orchids, in other words, they have "air-roots".

Orchids have developed a remarkable array of ingenious pollination techniques.  Some species self-pollinate, others attract insects by sexual impersonation.  One species, for example, produces a flower that closely resembles the form of a female wasp, so the male wasps not knowing they are being deceived, go on and deposit pollen within the orchid flower and immediately afterward receive a fresh batch to carry to the next false female.  Male bees and other insects are known to use the pollen of orchids as a perfume to attract females. 

Cattleya Orchids are the most common in every home in Costa Rica, and they require very simple care; they can tolerate temperatures up to 95 to 100 degrees F (35 to 38 degrees C) where the shading, humidity, and air circulation are increased.  Young plants need temperatures of 5 to 10 degrees higher than mature plants.

The lower overnight temperature recommended for Cattleyaorchids is between 60-65 ° F (15.5-18 ° C).  When this orchid becomes strong and healthy will be able to survive occasional extreme falls or temperature rises, until it gets use to the sudden and extreme temperatures. 

If possible, we should place these orchids where they receive sun in the morning and afternoon since they need a vast amount of light to grow.  When their leaves start developing a dark green hue is a warning signal that tells you that the orchid is not getting all the necessary amount of sun; however, if it is receiving to too much sun, the leaves will turn yellow.  In regard to water, the experts recommend to water them once the dirt around them feels dry.  

For more information and calendar of events visit:  

http://www.ticorquideas.com/eventos.htm 

The Orchid Expo is scheduled for February 24, 25 and 26 at ACO  Headquarters, in Barrio Aranjuez, San Jose, Costa Rica  Phone: (2221)-0029  and (506) 2221-0070

The Orchid Expo could be an unforgettable event.

Something I did not know until recently is that the vanilla bean pod is the fruit of an orchid variety, which is “Vanilla Planifolia”; this is the only vine orchid in the world and, the only one that bears edible fruit.  Vanilla orchids grow in tropical climates; they grow mostly in Central and South American, Tahiti, Madagascar, Mexico, Florida, and the Bahamas.  

The dark brown bean is 7 to 9 inches long and yields about a half teaspoon of seeds which are an integral part of the pod.  The vanilla pods must be cured in order obtain the vanillin, which is the substance that gives vanilla its distinctive flavor.  The curing method consists mainly of keeping the pods warm and slowly drying for three to four months until they become pliable and deep brown, sometimes forming a fine white crystalline coating of vanillin on the surface of the beans.  Once you have the cure pods you can make your own vanilla extract, by following these simple steps:

• Chop 4 vanilla pods, throw them in a glass jar and cover with ½ cup of vodka.
• Shake it and place it in a cupboard for 6-8 weeks.  Shake as often as you remember, and if you forget about it , don’t worry, it won’t make a big difference. 
• After 6-8 weeks, it should be a deep dark brown color, and it' will be ready to use.
• You can strain out the vanilla bits but you can also leave them in.

When you visit Costa Rica, if you want to know about the Vanilla Orchid, visit Villa Vanilla Spice Plantation is located in the Central Pacific rain forest 10 miles east of Quepos overlooking Manuel Antonio National Park.  http://www.rainforestspices.com/

Costa Rica and its Orchids are always waiting for your visit, you won't want  to miss them.

New Years Celebration, " Boruca Style"

Costa Rica has several indigenous groups, one of them is the “Boruca Tribe”, this group is located mainly in the Southern Pacific side of the country in a place called “Buenos Aires’, their indigenous reservation includes several communities (El Centro de Boruca, Rey Curré, Changuena, Maíz and Bijagua).

The Borucas are widely known for their beautiful and elaborate crafts; however, they are particularly recognized for the “Fiesta de los “diablitos”, a 3-day festival that starts on December 31 and ends on January 2nd.  

In preparation to this festival, they use balsa wood to make a variety of masks that represent devil faces and are to be worn by the man of the Boruca tribe during the festival.  The objective of the festival is to celebrate the fact that the Spanish Conquistadores did not conquer them because they manage to scare them away.

The “Dance of the Little Devils” or “Baile de los “diablitos” represents the fight between the Spanish conquerors and the Boruca Tribe, also known as brunkas.  The masks play the most important role in the dance.  The bulls, ferocious in appearance, represent the colonist, and the Little Devils or “diablitos” are the natives, the Spaniards called them that way because in their opinion the natives were evil. 

Back on the days of the conquest, this tribe fought with great courage reaching the victory; however, despite the fact that they escaped the iron fist if the colonization, the long term effects of it can be seen in the diminishing number of natives part of the tribe.  Unfortunately, they face a continuous struggle due to the destruction of the flora and fauna surrounding their territory.

The ceremonial masks are sold as the main source of income for the tribe.

The Festival starts on December 30 around 9:00 PM.  Los “diablitos” (kids 14 and older) gather in a clearing at the mountains near the Boruca Town and wait for the call of the “Diablo Mayor” (an older male with experience in prior festivals); he instructs the “diablitos” to start the celebration at the sound of his conch usually at midnight starting on December 31.  The celebration stops around 2:00 AM and resumes around 9:00 AM at the sound of the Conch, the “diablitos” spend the entire day in the community, dancing, eating tamales and drinking chicha, which is the traditional alcoholic beverage made with corn and fermented with yeast.  The “diablitos” pass through town three times a day; this part of the celebration represents the glory of the Boruca tribe prior to the Spanish conquest.

On January 1st, the history telling continues and one new character is added, this is the  “Toro” (Bull), representing the relentless conquest of the Spanish, the role is played by a variety of men in the community, wearing a costume includes a mask made with cedar wood and it has horns from a real bull.  The Toro chases the “diablitos “around the town under the guidance of the Diablo Mayor conch sound.  At first, the “diablitos” are able to resist the Toro; however, as the dance progresses into the morning of January 2, the Toro begins to win, and by 3:00 PM, the Toro has killed all the “diablitos”, this action represents the subjugation of the Boruca Tribe by the Spaniard.  In an amazing twist the “diablitos” start to resurrect themselves one by one, as the “diablitos” come back to life, the ambiance of celebration returns; meantime the “Toro” (bull) is being hunted by the “diablitos” who now have a new helper, “the perro”(the dog).  The “Toro” (Bull) desperately seeks for places to hide while the “diablitos” and the “perro” go around looking for him.  When they find the bull, they capture him and take him to the river where they burn him (the bull custom except for the masks is set on fire), this act represents the ultimate survival of the Boruca tribe and the end of the Festival. 

It is interesting to notice that even though there are many roles played during this dance celebration, none of the roles include women, apparently, the reason why they are not included is because historically, the Boruca women did not have any power in the organization and traditions of the community.  It is important to stress the fact that now days women have a very active role in the community, they participate in the organizational committee and they are well respected for their contribution.

The committee starts planning the festivities on early November because this is the most important and largest event for the Boruca tribe during the year.  This event attracts many tourists, therefore they need to organize the purchasing of food, housing for tourist, and the logistics of the dance itself.  

Marina Lazaro Morales is one of the main contributors, Marina has always lived in Boruca she has raised many children here and now she is one of the key members, she has been involved in commerce and weaving here in Boruca for 25 years.  Marina is small in stature but she has large influence over her village and she is one of the leaders of the Boruca Community.

Boruca women, since pre-Hispanic times have been weavers of fine, naturally dyed cotton textiles that are made into well-crafted woven products: bags, knapsacks, place mats, table-runners, hats etc.  These women are the backbone of the community. 

If you wish to see some of their beautiful crafts, visit their site www.borucacrafts.com