Butterfly wing scales. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of scales from the wing of an emerald swallowtail (Papilio Palinurus) butterfly. La

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Butterfly wing scales. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of scales from the wing of an emerald swallowtail (Papilio Palinurus) butterfly. Layers of wing scales are transparent but tiny ridges on the scales break up and reflect light to give the scales their shimmering iridescent appearance. Magnification: x190 when printed 10 centimetres wide.

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Size: 4525px × 3898px
Photo credit: © EYE OF SCIENCE/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: anatomical, anatomy, animal, biological, biology, butterfly, colored, coloured, detail, emerald, entomological, entomology, false-colour, false-coloured, fauna, insect, insecta, invertebrate, invertebrates, iridescence, iridescent, nature, palinurus, papilio, scale, scales, sem, swallowtail, tropical, wildlife, wing, zoological, zoology