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Blue pigments are incredibly rare in nature. Just as a prism breaks light into the colors of the rainbow, so too do nano-structures on the surface of insects. In some cases, these nano-structures resemble spruce trees. The different wavelengths (colors) of light bounce around within these nano-structures and interfere with each other, allowing only the blue wavelengths to escape. In other cases, light refracts within very thin layers on the surface of the insect allowing only blue to escape. For butterflies, these structures are part of the microscopic scales that cover their wings and bodies. See “The Intriguing World of Insects” on display, pre-security, in the International Terminal. http://bit.ly/IntriguingInsects
This image was posted on August 07, 2019.