Glasswing

Glasswing
Nicknames: • Ghostwing • Shimmerwing Classification: Beast - Insect Rarity: Rare Habitat: Forests, farmlands & swamps Scale: Miniature Average Height: 8 - 12 cm Average Weight: 0.5 - 1 g

The Glasswing are delicate and otherworldly insects known for their nearly transparent wings and bodies. Native to the forests, farmlands and swamps of Eldland, they appear almost invisible in flight, earning them their ghostly reputation. Despite their fragile look, they are resilient creatures with a fascinating ability to absorb pigments from nectar, giving them a stained-glass-like shimmer.

Physical Appearance

At first glance, the Glasswings frame resembles that of most butterflies, comparable in size to a monarch butterfly with an elegant wingspan stretching up to ten centimeters in length. Despite their modest size, they are astonishingly lightweight, weighing just half a gram to a gram. What sets them apart, however, is their hauntingly beautiful transparency. From their thin legs and segmented body to their contoured head, almost every part of a Glasswing is semi-translucent. Even their hemolymph, the insect's equivalent of blood, and organs are faintly translucent, giving them a spectral, ghost-like appearance that seems to shimmer in and out of sight.

This unique transparency begins early in their life. As caterpillars, they hatch in a form just as surreal, nearly colorless, their pale grey bodies resembling delicate crystals, shimmering faintly in the light. However, this translucent stillness is only temporary. As they mature, Glasswings undergo a subtle transformation, gaining color in the most unusual way: through the nectar they consume. Feeding primarily on wildflowers, these butterflies absorb a variety of pigments found naturally in the nectar. But rather than breaking them down like most insects, the Glasswing allows these pigments to pass directly into their hemolymph circulating them throughout their bodies.

The result is breathtaking. When sunlight hits their nearly invisible wings and translucent bodies, the light refracts through both the chitinous surface and the pigments flowing within. This interplay of light and color causes their wings to shimmer like stained glass, reflecting hues that seem to shift and dance as the butterfly moves around.

Mental Characteristics

Glasswings may not be among the most intelligent of creatures, relying largely on instinct to navigate their world, but what they lack in brainpower, they make up for in fascinating, species-specific behavior. Once they reach adulthood, their primary drive becomes clear; to seek out as many blooming flowers as possible, harvesting nectar rich in nutrients. This nectar not only sustains them but also plays a crucial role in their reproductive cycle, providing the energy needed to produce eggs after mating.

Lifespan and Development

The lifecycle of the Glasswing butterfly closely mirrors that of other butterfly species, beginning with a single, delicate egg laid carefully on the underside of a leaf. Once hatched, the tiny caterpillar, often only being a few millimetres long, begins its first task of feeding on surrounding plant matter to build the energy needed for its transformation. When ready, it weaves itself into a chrysalis, entering the remarkable stage of metamorphosis, which usually lasts for two weeks. After emerging as an adult, the butterfly spends a day drying and strengthening its transparent wings before taking its first flight. Though breathtaking in beauty, the Glasswing lives only about a year, making the most of its short life by reproducing just once, ensuring the next generation continues the cycle.

Territory and Grouping

These harmless insects have neither set territory nor groupings, only gathering in large when emerging from their chrysalises or during their mating phase. It is quite rare, but occasionally a field may have vast quantities of these shining butterflies, during those specific phases, something which nearby settlers admire if they have the chance to.

Abilities

The Glasswings don’t have any unique abilities, possessing only the normal abilities of any other average butterfly.

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