Dircenna klugii, Klug's Clearwing

Excerpts from Jim Conrad's
Naturalist Newsletter

from the August 3, 2007 Newsletter issued from Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve, QUERÉTARO, MÉXICO
CLEARWING
Maybe the prettiest butterfly seen last weekend paused on a twig long enough for me to get the picture shown below.

Unfortunately the most striking feature about this butterfly doesn't show up well in the picture. That is, the critter's wings are semi-transparent, or translucent.

UPDATE: Andrew Warren of the Mariposas Mexicanas Website identifies it as a male Dircenna klugii of the Clearwing tribe, the Ithomiini, sometimes known as Klug's Clearwing.

I'm pretty sure the butterfly is a member of the Clearwing "tribe," the Ithomiini, of the Brushfoot Family, the Nymphalidae.

Whatever its name, when the butterfly flits through sunlight with red, yellow and blue flower colors translucing through sparkling wings, the effect is very nice indeed.