If you touch the wings of a butterfly, you are likely to get a thin layer of powder, which is composed of tiny scales. These powders are like tiles on a house. The structure and arrangement of the tiny scales give the butterfly special colors and flashes, and help protect insects from the harsh environment. At present, engineers from Massachusetts Institute of technology have photographed how the wing scales of butterflies "grow and assemble" during the process of pupation**
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Through some microsurgery and ingenious imaging methods, researchers can observe the formation process of the wing scales of the little red nymphalus butterfly. They observed that during the formation process of the wings, the cells on the surface of the wings grew in a neat line. These cells rapidly differentiated into alternating and covering structures, producing overlapping tile like patterns, and the scales continued to increase, They will grow long and thin ridges along the diameter and length of the scales - tiny wavy features, which can not only control the color of butterfly wings, but also help to drain rainwater and dew.
This research report, published in the proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on November 22, provides the most detailed observation so far on the growth of butterfly scales. This new visual effect can also be used as a blueprint for the design of new materials, such as rainbow windows and waterproof textiles. In addition, butterfly wings control many of their properties by accurately forming a scale structure. Based on the special structure of the scale, it can be used to design a self-cleaning strategy for the color of cars and buildings.