ACR Database Version R36 Release Available
We’re happy to announce — alongside a new app release — a major data update for the Animals of Costa Rica App. This is by far the largest content update we have published.
Major changes and improvements
A large increase of species (including color variations, sexual dimorphism and juvenile stages) and around 4,000 new pictures, with a special focus on vertebrates, butterflies, moths, leafhoppers, planthoppers and arachnids.
Thanks to Emanuel Rodríguez we were able to include the order Mecopterans — scorpionflies, hangingflies and their allies — for the first time. The single most substantial addition is the butterflies-and-moths update, with more than 1,000 new species.
Fish species coverage was also increased and the next update will have a dedicated focus on that group, thanks to our new co-author Jorge San Gil León.
Species growth by group
| Group | Previous version | New version |
|---|---|---|
| Mammals | 65 | 79 |
| Birds | 377 | 473 |
| Reptiles | 99 | 129 |
| Amphibians | 68 | 98 |
| Fishes | 151 | 176 |
| Insects | 3709 | 5265 |
| Crustaceans | 24 | 25 |
| Arachnids | 301 | 325 |
| Myriapods | 22 | 22 |
| Velvet worms | 4 | 4 |
| Molluscs | 77 | 78 |
| Cnidarians | 1 | 1 |
| Echinoderms | 13 | 13 |
The new version brings the catalogue to 6,688 species illustrated by more than 10,000 photographs. A small number of placeholder pictures (for example for several Saturniid moths and Sphinx moths) flag species where photographs are still needed — a deliberate signal so contributors know exactly where to help.
The update is delivered through the app’s normal database-package mechanism; no reinstall is required.