Moth wing scales. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of scales from the wing of a Madagascan sunset moth (Chrysiridia rhipheus), showing thei

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Moth wing scales. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of scales from the wing of a Madagascan sunset moth (Chrysiridia rhipheus), showing their photonic crystal structure. The colour of a moth or butterfly's wing can arise either from a pigment contained in the scales or from the actual structure of the scales themselves, as here. Photonic crystals are nanostructures that affect the motion of photons in light, producing a specific colouration.

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Size: 3417px × 2563px
Photo credit: © PETR JAN JURACKA/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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