Butterflies are well known for the beautiful colors and patterns that decorate their wings. They function to attract mates, provide camouflage, or ward off predators. Many colors are created by pigments within the scales, but others, especially blues and greens, are produced by a remarkable phenomenon known as structural coloration.
In structural coloration, nanostructures, which are smaller than the wavelength of light, amplify certain colors and diminish others to create dazzling hues. On April 24th, Dr. Nipam Patel will describe a number of butterfly species that use structural coloration, and recent genetic and cellular insights into how scale cells generate the necessary materials and geometry to create these rich colors!
Dr. Nipam Patel
Director, Marine Biological Laboratory-Woods Hole; Professor, University of Chicago.
