20 July 2011

The Incredible Glasswing Butterfly

No,your eyes are not playing tricks on you - neither has this photo been 'shopped. This is the Glasswing Butterfly - a remarkable example of where nature seems to confound science. You can see right through its wings - hence the name (even though the scientific name, Greta oto, sounds to us like a silent movie star). Many butterflies have brightly colored wings to ward off predators, but this species has done the opposite.  Find out more about the glasswing and why you can see straight through it at the Ark in Space.