That which is unnoticed has the most power ...

The transparent butterfly comes from Central America and is found from Mexico to Panama. It is quite common in its zone, but it not easy to find because of its transparent wings, which is a natural camouflage mechanism.

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 rain forest 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 Glass wing butterfly shimmer in the sunlight like polished panes of turquoise, orange, green, and red.

All things beautiful do not have to be full of color to be noticed: in life, that which is unnoticed has the most power.

The author of this piece is unknown.

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A special thanks to my friend, Anita, for sending me email chain ... I bet symbolically this butterfly is chock full of special meaning! Photographs are by Jose Reynaldo da Fonseca. They've been traveling about the internet for some time now, so I don't feel too bad about publishing them here.