Uncovering Secrets of the Glasswing Butterfly’s Wings | Science News for Students

Most butterflies sport colorful, eye-catching wings. But some species flit about using mostly transparent wings. [MBL] researchers have now uncovered the tricks that one of these — the glasswing butterfly (Greta oto) — uses to hide in plain sight.

Researchers viewed the wings of these Central American butterflies under the microscope. There they spied sparse, spindly scales overlaying a see-through wing membrane. That membrane also has antireflective properties. It’s that combo that makes these insects so stealthy.

Researchers shared what they learned in the May 28 Journal of Experimental Biology.

Being transparent is the ultimate camouflage, says James Barnett. He’s a behavioral ecologist at McMaster University. It’s in Hamilton, Canada. Transparent animals can blend into any background. “It’s really hard to do,” notes Barnett, who did not take part in the work. To limit light reflection, “You have to modify your entire body,” he explains. Read more of the article here ...

The boundary between clear and opaque regions of a glasswing butterfly wing (magnified image at left) reveals two types of scales. The scales in the transparent region are sparse and thin and have either single or forked bristles (shown in false color at center). The black region contains overlapping, leaflike scales (shown in false color at right).A. Pomerantz et al/JEB 2021

Source: Uncovering secrets of the glasswing butterfly’s see-through wings | Science News for Students