The Glass Butterfly

The Glass Butterfly

This beautiful butterfly, named 'Greta oto' but nicknamed the 'glass butterfly' opens to each side 6 cm of incredibly beautiful, and completely transparent, wings. A close look at the glass butterfly's wings will show you that through the veins running across its wings, you can see a perfect image. Most butterflies come with painted wings, using tiny scales to draw incredible designs we humans love to see.

The reasons are usually the same: Either deter enemies or attract other butterflies. The glass butterfly's wings have the same purpose: They hide the butterfly in plain sight, therefore allowing it to escape detection by birds, who have great eyesight, especially for color.

To achieve this kind of transparencly, the wing is coated with numerous sub-microscopic tiny bumps that break light and prevent it from bouncing back from the wing, thereby creating transparency.

You can find this amazing insect in Central America, anywhere between Panama and Mexico.