12 Elusively Blue Animals: The Rarest Creatures of All
Blue Morpho
A blue morpho butterfly resting on a green leaf
PATSTOCK / Getty Images
Butterflies in the genus Morpho, commonly called blue morphos, are notable for their beautiful blue wings. The butterfly's blue coloration is caused by the structure of its wings, which contain microscopic scales that have ridges shaped like Christmas trees with alternating thin layers known as lamellae. The nanostructure of these scales scatter the light that strikes the butterfly's wings, making them appear blue.
Since these structures are only present on the dorsal side of a blue morpho's wings, the ventral side of the butterfly's wings are actually brown. Furthermore, for many species of morphos, males tend to be more blue than females, and for several species, only the male butterflies are blue while the females are brown or yellow.
A blue morpho butterfly resting on a green leaf
PATSTOCK / Getty Images
Butterflies in the genus Morpho, commonly called blue morphos, are notable for their beautiful blue wings. The butterfly's blue coloration is caused by the structure of its wings, which contain microscopic scales that have ridges shaped like Christmas trees with alternating thin layers known as lamellae. The nanostructure of these scales scatter the light that strikes the butterfly's wings, making them appear blue.
Since these structures are only present on the dorsal side of a blue morpho's wings, the ventral side of the butterfly's wings are actually brown. Furthermore, for many species of morphos, males tend to be more blue than females, and for several species, only the male butterflies are blue while the females are brown or yellow.
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30 August 2023
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