Glasswing Butterflies Want To Make Something Perfectly Clear
From Deep Look
5 min3rd4th5th6thScience
Summary
The glasswing butterfly has see-through wings that make it nearly invisible to predators. Deep Look zooms in on the tiny structures that keep its wings from reflecting light — a clear kind of camouflage.
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Teaching resources
Discussion questions
Talk about it
Most wings reflect light and stand out. The glasswing's wings are built to let light pass straight through, so the butterfly seems to disappear — helping it avoid predators.
- How do see-through wings help this butterfly hide?
- Why would being hard to see help an animal survive?
- How is clear camouflage different from blending into a color or pattern?
Quick work-a-long
Vocabulary: transparent, camouflage, survive, predator.
Try it: Hold clear plastic and colored paper against different backgrounds. Write which one hides best in the most places, and why.