A glasswing butterfly perched on a leaf
© Corianna Heise/Alamy
A glasswing butterfly perched on a leaf
Nature doesn’t need high-tech stealth gadgets you might see in a spy movie—it has the glasswing butterfly. Though scientists are still studying how this insect evolved see-through wings, they know that the properties of the scales on its wings differ from those of other butterflies. The scales are not uniform in size or arrangement, which allows light to pass through more easily, aiding in the glass-like appearance of the wings. It’s part of the butterfly’s clever adaptation—birds and lizards can’t eat what they can’t see.
Related Images
Common chameleon
Plumeria flowers, Hawaii
Formal garden at Château de Villandry, Loire Valley, France
Grove of redwoods in Redwood National and State Parks, California
Zion National Park, Utah
Kachina Bridge, Natural Bridges National Monument, Utah
The National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, DC
Tree frog, Costa Rica
Today on Bing
Traffic circle and highway in Bangkok, Thailand
Mar 05, 2024
The island of Mont-Saint-Michel in Normandy, France
Mar 05, 2022
