Desert Dreams

Where Dreams.... Do Come True...... Sand, Sand, the immortal, never conquered, always moving, yet always there. Never changing, and always changed. Unstoppable, the destroyer of dreams, yet the mover of souls.

Glass Wing Butterflies

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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

My LoveNorth Pole

Comments

Q-ell Bettonmakeqfit Sunday, March 12, 2006 1:01:07 AM

another informative blog about something i would never have known about had i not read it here. i like the flowers and weeds analogy. Q.

E. Driver Sunday, March 12, 2006 2:08:59 AM

Hullo Eve,

The glasswing butterfly is amazing!

Kind regards

Elmar

Fatimahzenya Sunday, March 12, 2006 10:55:35 PM

HI Q, and Elmar,

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

After a long crazy busy day it truly brings you a sense of peace to see the glass wing butterfly ....thanks

Fatimahzenya Thursday, March 23, 2006 8:21:12 PM

HI T,

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

There is no such thing as "flowers and weeds" except in the mind of man. They're all the same in the eyes of God.

Fatimahzenya Monday, March 19, 2007 10:34:13 PM

HI Pilchbo,

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

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