Thursday, January 8, 2009

Wings Scales for safety and attraction.
Lepidoptera is the order of insect, which includes butterflies and moths, which means "scale wing" in Greek. Most Lepidoptera have tiny, colored scales on their wings that give them their characteristic color patterns. The wings are made of a very thin membrane, fed by a network of veins. This thin membrane is covered by thousands of tiny scales and transparent hairs. Both moths and butterflies have very tiny scales on their wings. They're sort of like the scales on fish, but much smaller; so small that they seem like a fine powder. The size and shape of the scales varies depending on the species, so some of them seem "fuzzier" than others. The scales are made of very thin layers of chitin, which is the same material that the outer shells of insects are made of. The scales are the powders that you get on your hands when you catch a butterfly. The scales are to give coloration to the wings because they contain the color pigments. The iridescent blue, green, and white colors are the product of not only the color of the scales but also the transparent thin hairs on top of the scales. The hairy scales refract (bend) light, resulting in the iridescence effect (just like the way sunglasses work). The reflection and refraction of light within those scale layers is what produces the iridescent colors.
One of the functions of these scales is as a defense against predators. The scales also help protect them from predators by making the wings real slippery and hard to hold. Since the scales are loosely attached, they come off easily and act just like talcum powder does to lubricate the wings. Butterflies can even sustain some structural wing damage and retain the ability to fly. Butterflies and moths aren't completely waterproof, the scales do tend to repel water so that a butterfly can fly through the rain without getting its wings waterlogged. The scales regulate a butterfly's body temperature by either absorbing or reflecting sunlight, depending on the angle the wings are turned to the sun. Scent scales are modified wing scales on the forewing of male butterflies and moths that release pheromones. These chemicals attract females of the same species.
Yuwaraj Gurjar.

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