Some varieties of Mangrove Skippers can also show purple shades on their wings. The Queen Purple Tip, also called the Regal Purple Tip or the Large Violet Tip butterfly is found in the Nataal Province in South Africa.Ī common purple species found in North America is the Red-spotted Purple or White Admiral. Its close relative is the Indian Purple Emperor, found in India and other parts of South Asia. However, only the male of the species fits the description with iridescent wings that shine blue and purple in the sunlight. One of the best-known purple butterflies is the Purple Emperor, found in the British Isles and parts of Europe. However, you do not always find a consistently purple color, its more common to find various shades of blue, black and purple co-mingled on a butterfly’s wings. Specimens of butterflies that display purple iridescence. Herald the arrival of someone important in your life. Many people think that seeing a purple butterfly may Purple butterflies are usually associated Many tourist attractions, such as the Amazon Rainįorest, promote visits when blue butterflies are present in number. They are often featured in nature preserves andīutterfly sanctuaries. c)Īs mentioned before, blue butterflies canīe found the world over. have speckled black dots on the blue background of their wings. For example, the famous Blue Morpho butterflies can be spottedīased on the brown undersides of their wings. To identify each species, other markings need toīe studied. b)īlue butterflies are easy to identify due Declared extinct decades back, a population was found to exist around San Pedro, CA – there are only a few hundred of them in the wild. One of them, the large blue butterfly, had gone extinct in the UK over 40 years back, but have been successfully reintroduced this year.Īnother, the Palos Verdes Blue, is considered to be the rarest butterfly in the world. Though they are common, two species of blue butterflies are among the rarest. Common North American species include the shimmery blue Acmon Blues and the dark Spring Azures. The gorgeous Sappho Longwings, with light blue and white wings, can only be found in the rainforests of Costa Rica and Belize. Blue Morpho butterflies communicate and attract mates using their color.Īnother common butterfly is the Ulysses Butterfly, also called the Mountain Blue, which is a large swallowtail butterfly found in Australia. Interestingly, the undersides of their wings are brown, and those colors flash as they fly. One of the most famous is the Blue Morpho, whose size (5 to 8 inches) and numbers make them visible from the air in Central and South American Rain Forests. Many blue butterflies are commonly found – there are thousands of species globally. People think these butterflies will bring joy or good The color blue is often thought to symbolize a Striking in appearance, they can beįound on every continent. Can Butterflies Be Blue?īlue butterflies belong to the Lycaenidaeįamily, along with Hairstreaks and Coppers. IRIDESCENT BUTTERFLIES – Blue, Green, Purple, Red, Grey (and Pink) 1. Moreover, iridescent butterflies change color as they flit about, creating beautiful contrasts.īoth iridescent and natural pigmentation driven colors. There are possibly over 20,000 species of butterflies in the world, out of which some 750 are found in the US.Īs we go on to discuss the gamut of colors found in butterflies, it’s important to remember that many of the most striking specimens exhibit more than one color. Lepidoptera is an order of insects that include butterflies and moths. But with structural colors, the angle at which light hits the wings as they flutter will cause the color to change – a shimmering effect we call iridescence. Natural pigmentation stays the same whenever or wherever you see it. On the other hand, butterflies can show bright blue, green, red, purple or grey/white wings due to structural colors that are created by photonic cells – namely, the chitin in their wings – that reflect certain bands of light in specific ways. The brown and yellow shades come from melanin, the same pigment we humans have. There are two types of colors found on butterflies:įor example, orange, brown, black or yellow colors come from actual pigments in a butterfly’s skin. These majestic looking insects have evolved to use every possible means to survive and continue the cycle of life. Certain colors are handy camouflage that help adult butterflies blend into their surroundings and stay safe.īut they could also be used to attract mates, or to warn off would-be predators that they are likely distasteful and/or toxic.
These vibrant colors are not just aesthetic, they serve specific purposes. Who among us has not been enchanted with the shimmering wings of a butterfly as it flits from flower to flower in search of nectar?
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