Butterflies use colors in three ways: the butterfly colors are attractive to other butterflies and improve their mating chances, notify the predators they're toxic, and help the insects camouflage among the environment.
What Are the Most Common Butterfly Colors?
The most common butterfly colors and combinations are:
- Black
- Brown
- White
- Yellow
- Red
- Blue
What Is the Rarest Butterfly Color?
While no true pink butterflies exist in nature, there’s one that could be called pink. The Pink rose butterfly (Pachliopta kotzebuea) is a predominantly black butterfly with pink dots along the hindwings. It has a combination of dark pink and black markings along the thorax. This butterfly lives in the Philippines.
Where do Butterflies Get Their Colors?
Butterflies get their colors from two main sources: chemical pigments and structural color. Chemical pigments are molecules that absorb specific wavelengths of light and reflect the remaining light. This is the type of color that you see in everyday objects like crayons, leaves, and flowers.
On the other hand, structural color is created by the butterfly’s wing’s physical structure. The wing reflects light in a way that creates the illusion of color. One good example of structural color is the flashes of colors emanating from a precious gem, such as topaz or opal.
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Structural color is the reason some butterfly’s wing colors change even if they sit in place.
Butterfly Colors and Mate Attractiveness
Butterflies use their colors to attract mates. A 2003 study discovered that light polarization on butterfly wings is used for mate recognition among some butterfly species. The researchers emphasized that the light refracted from the surface of the wings’ scales may serve as another mating signal.
Butterfly Colors and Camouflage
Camouflage is the most common defense butterflies use to protect themselves from predators. Butterflies blend with their natural habitats by using colors, patterns, and wing texture combinations to hide among the plants.
Butterfly Coloration as a Warning Signal
Butterflies also use their colors or eyespots as a warning signal for predators. The strikingly bright colors tell the predators that eating their prey is not a good idea. Luckily, this defense mechanism works well for butterflies, especially those with prominent eyespots which intimidate predators.
Butterfly Mimicry and Evolution for Defense
Some butterflies use mimicry to defend themselves from predators. The Monarch, Queen, and Viceroy butterflies are the best examples of mimicry. These 3 butterflies are quite similar, and predators often have a hard time distinguishing which ones are edible (Viceroys) and which ones are bitter (Monarchs and Queens) and leave them alone.
Iridescence in Butterfly Wings
Iridescence refers to the refraction of light changing as the angle of the view shifts, and it’s common in nature. Iridescence occurs when light is reflected more than once through a transparent, multilayered surface.
The wing scales’ physical structure allows iridescence to occur naturally and helps them avoid predators. Some of the best examples of butterfly iridescence include:
- Blue morpho butterflies
- Giant swallowtail butterfly
- Green hairstreak
Butterfly Color Symbolism
Beautiful butterfly colors can mean different things to different people. For example, a red butterfly may signify evil, while a yellow butterfly represents the Sun, joy, and life.
On the other hand, some cultures see a white butterfly as a symbol of death, and orange butterflies mean you should focus on your objectives. Finally, purple butterfly colors could represent a soul united with its creator.
Joan is a nocturnal person who loves traveling and coffee. She’s also an animal lover (and rescuer) who makes it a point to befriend every animal she meets. Her passion for learning led her to writing about various topics. As someone who is a nature lover, she aims to continue learning about the wonderful creation—especially butterflies, and at the same time, share her knowledge here at Butterfly Hobbyist.