Glass Wing Butterflies
Sunday, March 12, 2006 12:35:17 AM
Music from the Angels
Butterflys from God
07 Pachelbel's Canon.wav
(Glasswing Butterfly)
(Lives in South America)
A butterfly with transparent wings is rare and beautiful.
As delicate as finely blown glass, the presence of this rare tropical gem is used by rainforest ecologists as an indication of high habitat quality and its demise alerts them of ecological change. Rivaling the refined beauty of a stained glass window, the translucent wings of the glasswing butterfly shimmer in the sunlight like polished panes of turquoise, orange, green, and red.

Native to Columbia, Bolivia, Peru, and Ecuador, the glasswing butterfly is usually observed feeding or flying high in the subcanopy of the tropical forest in the Andes Mountains. Members of the species, scientifically classified as Godyris duillia, frequently inhabit elevations of approximately 1,400 meters. Most of the butterflies are large and feature colorful transparent wing panels, but some specimens are a beautiful smoky brown.
Well adapted to the Andean climate and elevation, glasswing butterflies seem incessant in their zigzagging pursuit of flower nectar. Members of the species do not like to rush their meals and may spend hours on a single flower bloom while nectaring. A particular favorite of adult glasswing butterflies is the flowering jungle cucumber vine. Glasswing caterpillars, however, are not such dainty eaters. The larvae rapaciously munch on the leaves of plants, including the deadly nightshades, oleanders, and dogbane. From the poisonous food plants, the glasswing larvae gather toxic alkaloids, which make them unpalatable to predators.

As human populations grow, butterfly populations tend to shrink. Thus, the future of the exotic glasswing butterfly is uncertain. As part of the growing international trade of butterflies, specimens are often taken from the wild, but may also be cultivated for sale on butterfly ranches. Intensive farming with agrochemicals and increased ranching in the Andes greatly threaten the glasswing species and its associates. Other activities that make room for man, such as extensive logging and coal mining, also devastate the crucial habitat of the glasswings.
PS.. the photo of the flowers and weeds shows in nature sometimes oddities can get along. I wish this for humanity as well.
IN Light and Love
Eve
Butterflys from God
07 Pachelbel's Canon.wav
(Glasswing Butterfly)
(Lives in South America)
A butterfly with transparent wings is rare and beautiful.
As delicate as finely blown glass, the presence of this rare tropical gem is used by rainforest ecologists as an indication of high habitat quality and its demise alerts them of ecological change. Rivaling the refined beauty of a stained glass window, the translucent wings of the glasswing butterfly shimmer in the sunlight like polished panes of turquoise, orange, green, and red.

Native to Columbia, Bolivia, Peru, and Ecuador, the glasswing butterfly is usually observed feeding or flying high in the subcanopy of the tropical forest in the Andes Mountains. Members of the species, scientifically classified as Godyris duillia, frequently inhabit elevations of approximately 1,400 meters. Most of the butterflies are large and feature colorful transparent wing panels, but some specimens are a beautiful smoky brown.
Well adapted to the Andean climate and elevation, glasswing butterflies seem incessant in their zigzagging pursuit of flower nectar. Members of the species do not like to rush their meals and may spend hours on a single flower bloom while nectaring. A particular favorite of adult glasswing butterflies is the flowering jungle cucumber vine. Glasswing caterpillars, however, are not such dainty eaters. The larvae rapaciously munch on the leaves of plants, including the deadly nightshades, oleanders, and dogbane. From the poisonous food plants, the glasswing larvae gather toxic alkaloids, which make them unpalatable to predators.

As human populations grow, butterfly populations tend to shrink. Thus, the future of the exotic glasswing butterfly is uncertain. As part of the growing international trade of butterflies, specimens are often taken from the wild, but may also be cultivated for sale on butterfly ranches. Intensive farming with agrochemicals and increased ranching in the Andes greatly threaten the glasswing species and its associates. Other activities that make room for man, such as extensive logging and coal mining, also devastate the crucial habitat of the glasswings.
PS.. the photo of the flowers and weeds shows in nature sometimes oddities can get along. I wish this for humanity as well.
IN Light and Love
Eve


Q-ell Bettonmakeqfit # Sunday, March 12, 2006 1:01:07 AM
E. Driver # Sunday, March 12, 2006 2:08:59 AM
The glasswing butterfly is amazing!
Kind regards
Elmar
Fatimahzenya # Sunday, March 12, 2006 10:55:35 PM
Yes I too never heard of this stain of Butterfly and this is why I posted about them.
I love learning about nature and especially new species.
Thanks for reading and enjoying
Eve
Tetlyteana # Thursday, March 23, 2006 4:28:50 AM
Fatimahzenya # Thursday, March 23, 2006 8:21:12 PM
you are welcome and I am happy I can share some peace with you
thanks for reading and feeling
Eve
Kenpilchbo # Tuesday, March 28, 2006 1:13:58 AM
Fatimahzenya # Monday, March 19, 2007 10:34:13 PM
I never saw your comment until today
forgive me for being late
thank you for your quote as always
you say the sweetest words.
I hope you are well.
Fati