Butterfly wing scale. Coloured environmental scanning electron micrograph (ESEM) of a scale on an unidentified butterfly's wing. This modified hair ma

---

Butterfly wing scale. Coloured environmental scanning electron micrograph (ESEM) of a scale on an unidentified butterfly's wing. This modified hair may contain coloured pigment. In addition, its fine ridges interfere with light, producing iridescent colours. Unlike a conventional scanning electron microscope (SEM), samples placed into an environmental SEM do not need to be desiccated or coated in gold. Magnification unknown.

---

Size: 4000px × 3125px
Photo credit: © PASCAL GOETGHELUCK/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: animal, butterfly, coloured, environmental, esem, insect, insecta, invertebrate, invertebrates, nature, ridge, ridged, ridges, scale, sem, wildlife, wing, zoology