How Do Butterflies Get Their Brilliant Colors?
From BrainStuff by iHeartPodcasts
June 10, 2026 · 10 min
About this episode
This episode explores how microscopic structures contribute to the brilliant colors of butterfly wings.
Butterfly wings often come in striking, iridescent colors -- but it's not from pigments (or not entirely). Learn how microscopic structures give butterfly wings their flash in today's episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://animals.howstuffworks.com/insects/butterfly-colors.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Topics covered
- butterflies
- coloration
- iridescence
- microscopic structures
- insects
Keywords
- butterflies
- colors
- iridescence
- microscopic structures
- insects
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: BrainStuff, iHeartPodcasts
Books & works: How Do Butterflies Get Their Brilliant Colors?, HowStuffWorks
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