What a beautiful butterfly. I guess wing tissue can be transparent in the same way that our eyes are transparent.
The butterfly is beautiful, the photograph is a work of art.
Thank-you for posting it.
The distribution of the structures on the wing surface are irregular which allows most light to travel straight through rather than being reflected back, thus the transparent look. Which is a pretty cool means for camouflage.
That image is doctored but still pretty.
Quote:The distribution of the structures on the wing surface are irregular which allows most light to travel straight through rather than being reflected back, thus the transparent look. Which is a pretty cool means for camouflage.
That is impressive camouflage. It is hard to catch something that is so invisible.
That is an absolutely lovely butterfly.
I have always liked Lacewings also. There are many of them in the UK. Their wings are also translucent. I remember the first time I saw one, when I was a child.
There is a picture of one here:
http://www.wildlifetrusts.org/species/lacewing
The Lacewings are beautiful. I have never seen one so I wonder if we don't have them in North America.
According to Wikipedia we have them.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrysopidae
They eat aphids so I should look for them around my rose bushes.
Butterflies and other flying insects are so beautiful. They are as pretty as the flowers and the garden looks empty without them.
How pretty!
We have those here in the midwest U.S.A..
Ironically, it was the cover photo on this month's local Conservation magazine.
Only here they call them "clear wings".
I like your name much better. Very classy! It does remind one of a stained glass window.
They don't make it this far north. Or if they do, I have never seen one.
We don't have too many butterflies that make it here or at least not any more.
I agree glasswing is a prettier name.