Butterfly Wings

Have you ever touched a butterfly? I bet you haven’t felt anything as soft and delicate in the whole world. And the colors they have; simple stunning! The butterfly wings are so beautiful, it makes you wonder, “How on earth do they have such spectacular colors filled in them?”

Different colors and patterns

You will be amazed with the colors and patters of the butterfly wings. There are over 20,000 species of butterflies all of them having different colors and patterns. This is how butterflies are recognized among their own species and can even differentiate between males and females.

Most of the species have bright colors. They often have ultraviolet pattern which is not visible through naked eyes. The colors of butterfly wings help them in many purposes-

* It may help in camouflaging the insect into the surroundings, hiding it from predators.

* It helps them in attracting and finding mates.

* Some butterflies have large “eyespots” which makes them look like the face of a large animal. This scares off some predators.

* Dark colors help to soak heat when the butterflies bask themselves in the sun. They are cold blooded, like all other insects. When the temperature of their body falls down they warm themselves in the sun.

Anatomy

A butterfly has two pairs of wings; hind wings and fore wings. They form the figure 8 pattern when a butterfly flies. The surface of the butterfly wings is covered in scales which are about 50 x 250 micrometers in size. It may defer depending on the species. The scales overlap with each other on the wings. The patterns usually differ on the front and back of the wings.

The forewings of male butterflies have scent scales (androconia) which release a peculiar scent to attract females of the same species.

In the fourth stage i.e. adult stage of their life cycle, the wings are crinkled and wet. The butterfly hangs upside down and pumps blood in them. It waits for them to dry completely. They fly off when the wings are stronger and firmer.

The butterfly wings have two layers of membranes (chitonous layers). They have veins passing through the membranes which help in respiration. Both the pairs of butterfly wings are coupled together during flight, making them look like one pair of wings. When the butterflies are at rest, they hold their wings vertically.

These beautiful creatures are so serene to look at that all the complexity of their anatomy becomes secondary. The colorful, vibrant and delicate butterfly wings are simply one of the greatest works of art by Mother Nature.