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    What is the dust on the wings of butterflies, and what is its purpose?

    Question #53475. Asked by tamarindgh. (Dec 26 04 2:13 PM)


    McGruff

    		The "dust" is really the scales on the butterfly's wings. A butterfly has several layers of scales which reflect light, resulting in the wonderful colours that they use to signal one another.
    (#53484) Posted on Dec 26 04 by gmackematix

    (Posted in error as a question rather than an answer. - McG)

    Dec 26 04, 9:43 PM
    TheAlphaWolf

    		They also store wastes from the pupal stage.

    [Dec 28 04 7:59 PM] TheAlphaWolf writes:

    They also release pheromones during courtship, They allow gender identification, and to see how old and healthy one is (which I guess would be included by GM's "that they use to signal one another")
    and as another note... sometimes scales have pigments and other times the scales are clear but seem like they're colored by how they refract light.


    (As one entry - McG)

    Dec 27 04, 3:37 PM

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