description=A detail of a Urania moth wing shows tiny scales that overlap like shingles on a roof. The brilliant colors found on the wings of tropical butterflies and moths are not made up of pigments, but of refracted light from grooves on the scales. Different groove widths refract different colors of the spectrum. This is thought to have survival value. In flight, the bright flashes may dazzle and confuse predators giving chase, allowing the insect to escape. ìÄ
