Transparent Butterfly??

A friend sent me one of the "chain" emails that gets forwarded around forever (that I usually delete and ignore) -this one about the "transparent butterfly" caught my eye.. My son and I had a long discussion about whether it was a photoshop creation or real. I just did a Google search and it sems that it is actually a real butterfly?! Has anyone actually seen one of these (or am I just really gullible?) (Just as a side note, I see a watermark on the posted photo-I did not take the photo and don't know who did, so I can't take or give proper credit)
Deb



This message was edited Oct 20, 2008 9:03 AM

I found quite a few websites with just a little information, here's one:

http://neurophilosophy.wordpress.com/2006/12/03/the-glasswing-butterfly/

Apparently a brush-footed butterfly, Greta oto,( Nymphalidae family) whose range extends from Panama to Mexico (probably won't show up in Minnesota, eh?)

http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species?l=5082

supposedly along the rio grande.

ha. cross post!

isn't that what they call "gossamer wings" ?

i had always thought it meant Transparent Wings.

Very neat looking though.

Hmmmm, well that's closer than Panama . . .

That link was for a different one though. I think we should all take trips to central america this winter to find these.

Count me in!

Those butterflies are very real!!! That looks like one of Randy Emmitt's photographs taken of one seen in south Texas.

We had a couple of clearwings that make the butterfly news a few years ago in south Texas. Both were new US records.

Here are the links to our local NABA south Texas chapter website showing the photos our local butterflies were able to take.

One was a Thick Tipped Greta (Greta morgane) photographed at Bentsen World Birding Center in 2004
http://www.naba.org/chapters/nabast/morgane.html

and the other a Broad-tipped Clearwing (Pteronymia cotytto) photographed at the NABA Park in 2005
http://www.naba.org/chapters/nabast/cotytto.html

The NABA park and the Bentsen World Birding Center are within a mile of each other and both border the Rio Grande River.

They are supposed to use species of cestrum native to Costa Rica as a larval host. Haven't been able to find that species of plant in the US but they are supposed to also use cestrum parquii - which I was able to find. Got it growing in my yard waiting for the next clearwing to show up in south Texas!

I am a firm believer in that saying: "If you plant it, they will come" - but it's been a couple of years now and no new sightings :o( Oh well, I can still dream!!!

~ Cat


This message was edited Oct 20, 2008 5:28 PM

Thanks for the info, Cat-very interesting! I may have to plan a trip to Texas . . .

Deb...well do keep south Texas in mind. Our best butterfly season is during the fall. Our annual butterfly festival is always the third week of October too.

The perfect time to hit the parks and gardens is from the middle of October up through January (or February if the winters are mild). Most of the rarities have been sighted around that time.

We get butterflies all year long...but again, the fall season is the peak season.

~ Cat

Thanks, Cat! My husband's sister lives in Dallas and that's about the only place I've been in Texas. I would love a trip to see the coast-especially in January!. It's such a HUGE state! Do you get hummingbirds in the winter as well?

Deb

Yeah, Texas is sometimes too big - it takes me 11 to 12 hours worth of driving to get out of the state from where I'm at - whether I go east, west or north. However, if I drive south Mexico is less than 20 miles away! (or about 100 yards away if I'm at work!!!)

We get hummies all year long. Some don't migrate to we keep the feeders up for them.

Dallas has a lepidopterist society. www.dallasbutterflies.com which provides lots of good information. However, they allow/promote/believe in butterfly collecting. I'm against collecting and prefer to photograph butterflies instead of killing and pinning them to a board.

~ Cat


This message was edited Oct 23, 2008 12:18 AM

I agree, photos are much better. Thanks for the link! Cat, how far are you from the gulf?
Deb

I agree, I am against collecting, would rather take a great photo in the natural state. If we all collected we wouldn't have any.

The gulf coast - South Padre Island (Brownsville area) is about 60 miles away from me.

Don't mean to run a topic into the ground but we are always having run ins with collectors down here. Afterall, we have about 320 species recorded for this area. I know if it wasn't for the collectors from decades past we wouldn't have the information and guides we have now but I just don't see how present day collecting serves any purpose. Of course, the collectors out here say they are doing dna research and they say more butterflies are killed by cars, pesticides and predators. I believe that but it still doesn't sit well with me.

I know we are all entitled to our opinions - am just so glad we have lots of folks on Daves Garden, the Garden Web and Network 54 Butterfly Forum that raise and release :o)

~ Cat

Does anyone capture live females to get them to lay eggs? I know one DGer with good success.

How do they know it is a gravid female if they catch it in the wild? Do you know if they watch her lay eggs then collect her before she's finished so she can continue to lay eggs in captivity?

Since I raise and release Forbes Silkmoths I keep one of the emerging females in a large mesh reptarium. When she calls for a mate and the males come a-calling I open up the zippered flap and let them into the cage. Once she hooks up with one of the males I shoo the other males out. When they are done mating I release the male and keep the female for a couple of days to collect eggs then release her after that so she can continue to lay eggs in the wild. I then continue the cycle by raising the eggs she laid in captivity :o)

~ Cat

You know, I don't know. I know that the female is released after a day or so. The theory is to raise and release more into the wild.

I was wondering if anyone else does this because I am terrified to handle them upon release. I'm too worried I"m going to injure them. In fact, I could use some detailed instructions on how to handle them!

Usually early in the morning before they have warmed up in the sun, you can simply put your finger out in front of them and slowly move it against them and they will climb on.

That also works for some of the brushfoots that come to bait. If you dab a little on your finger they'll crawl onto your hand. Sometimes it works when you wipe the sweat off your brow too :o)

Here's a malachite enjoying butterfly brew on my finger.

~ Cat

oh, NOW you're just showing off! ;-)

:o) Heh heh!!!

Well, here's a malachite showing off. Perhaps it was wanting to know the time of day?

Am assuming it thought my watch was a small puddle of water???

~ Cat