Hello, P-assengers! Indeed you are familiar with butterflies, right? One type of insect from the order Lepidoptera is often symbolized as a sign of the results of hard work full of struggle. Because in its life cycle, a butterfly that was initially a caterpillar must remain silent as a cocoon for 15-20 days before finally turning into a beautiful figure that we usually call a butterfly.
When we talk about butterflies and their beauty, we always think of their wings. Because it’s the wings people highlight the most. The beautiful patterns and colors are captured by photographers and have become an art reference for many artists. However, one thing that begs the question, where exactly do these colors come from?
After doing research, it turns out that the butterfly’s wings are covered in tiny scales. Each of these scales consists of ribs filled with color pigment. This color pigment is what produces the color of the butterfly’s wings.
Although both have color pigments, butterfly wings often have different colors and patterns. Why? This is because the color that comes out of the butterfly’s wings depends on the sun’s reflection. Like the melanin in human skin, the color will also become darker if the wings absorb more sunlight. However, the butterfly’s melanin also forms patterns and spots on the wings, which results in the diversity of patterns with other butterflies.
Besides being beautiful, it turns out that butterfly wings also function as a protector. If it wants to be attacked by a bird, a butterfly can change the color of its branches to a lighter color as a sign that it is a poisonous animal. Therefore, birds will not eat it. This is very unique, P-assengers!
Here’s the end of this article. Hopefully, it can add insight and eliminate P-assengers‘s curiosity. Look forward to the following article!
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