Tiger Glasswing

The Tiger Glasswing belongs to the Ithomiini tribe and has transparent wings because they lack the pigmented scales found on most other butterflies. This transparency serves as camouflage, breaking up the butterfly's outline in the dappled light of the forest.

This butterfly is a Neotropical species found throughout the forested regions of Central and South America. They prefer the shady understory of rainforests where their transparent wings give them a distinct advantage against predators.

The caterpillars of glasswing butterflies typically feed on plants of the Solanaceae (nightshade) and Apocynaceae (dogbane) families. By consuming these toxic plants, the caterpillars absorb poisonous alkaloids that make the adult butterflies unpalatable to predators.

Yes, like many butterflies in the Nymphalidae family, Tiger Glasswings are poisonous to predators. Their bodies contain toxic alkaloids gathered from their diet as caterpillars, which they advertise through their distinct, transparent wing patterns.