How does a butterfly get colour on its wings?

As fascinating as they are eye-catching, butterflies have delighted and intrigued both the casual observer and the well informed expert for years. This is due, in part, to the intense display of color on their wings that gives off a glistening appearance as they fly. read more

A butterfly’s wing is actually translucent, but the wing is covered with scales that give it its color. Looked at under a microscope, the scales look like shingles on a roof. The scales on the wings of some butterflies - the South American Morpho is a good example - reflect light in different wavelengths, giving them brilliant metallic hues. read more

An example of this is when you look at a butterfly with yellow pigmentation on its wings, but covered by structures that give off a red iridescent color; you will see an orange butterfly! This color may even change as the butterfly moves its wings (due to the iridescence, of course) to give off changing colors of yellow, red, orange and everything in between. read more