Greta diaphanus, the Antillean clearwing, is a species of clearwing (ithomiine) butterflies, named by Dru Drury in 1773.[1]

Greta diaphanus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Clade: Pancrustacea
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Nymphalidae
Genus: Greta
Species:
G. diaphanus
Binomial name
Greta diaphanus
(Drury, 1773)
Synonyms
  • Papilio diaphanus Drury, 1773
  • Heliconia diaphana (Drury, 1773)
  • Papilio unzerina Herbst, 1792
  • Hymenitis diaphane Hübner, 1816
  • Hymenitis diaphanus quisqueya Fox, 1963
  • Greta diaphana charadra Schwartz, 1982
  • Greta diaphana calimete Schwartz, 1982
  • Greta diaphana galii Schwartz, 1982

Description

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Upperside: antennae black, and very long. thorax and abdomen dark brown. Wings transparent, vitreous (glass like). Anterior ones with the posterior edges bending as it were inwards. A small narrow border of dark brown runs entirely round the edges of these wings; and on the anterior edges, about a third from the tips, runs a dark brown streak towards the middle of the wing, close to which is a small white spot joining to the anterior edge. Posterior wings having also a very narrow border running about two-thirds round them, and stopping at the abdominal edges; some long yellowish hairs are placed on the anterior edges near the body.

Underside: palpi, breast, sides, ash-coloured. The dark brown borders surrounding the wings appear on this side of an orange-brown colour; the rest as on the upperside. Margins of the wings entire.

Wingspan 2+14 inches (57 mm).[2]

Subspecies

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  • Greta diaphanus diaphanus (Jamaica)
  • Greta diaphanus quisqueya (Fox, 1963) (Dominican Republic)

References

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  1. "Greta Hemming, 1934" at Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms
  2. Drury, Dru (1837). Westwood, John (ed.). Illustrations of Exotic Entomology. Vol. 2. pp. 15-16. pl. VII.