Say hello to what I reckon is the most beautiful butterfly on the planet – the utterly mesmerising Glasswing Butterfly.

Look at it. You can literally see the leaf behind the butterfly THROUGH the butterfly itself!

Nature is bonkers.

Glasswing Butterflies are also super romantic. When a male Glasswing Butterfly likes the look of a lady Glasswing Butterfly, he gives her what is referred to as a ‘nuptial gift’. He begins by tracking down a rare flower whose nectar contains a toxin which is poisonous to spiders. The male then takes the spider poison and wraps it up in a packet along with his sperm, which he presents lovingly to his desired female. If she accepts the gift, the embedded spider poison ensures that both she and her eggs are safe from being eaten by eight-legged predators in the future.

And they say romance is dead 🤷‍♂️

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Glasswing Butterflies (Ithomiini), Reserva Forestal de Fortuna, Panama & Los Amigos Biological Station, Peru