The Developmental Physiology of Color Patterns in Lepidoptera

The Lepidoptera are a fairly recent and monophyletic taxon and, next to the Coleoptera, perhaps the largest such taxon among living things. The attractive feature of lepidopteran color patterns is that they develop in a tissue that is essentially a two-dimensional monolayer of cells in which there is neither significant growth nor cell movement. The wing is a tissue that is nonessential for the proper development and survival of the individual so that it can be manipulated with a considerable amount of freedom. The majority of color patterns are patterns of melanin deposition. The color pattern on the wings of Lepidoptera resides exclusively in the scales. The cuticle of the wing is colorless or brownish and transparent. Most whites, almost all blues, and all iridescent (metallic) colors on lepidopteran wings are structural. The majority of chemical pigments (zoochromes) that have been found in the wings of Lepidoptera belong to four categories: melanins, pterins, flavonoids, and ommochromes. © 1985, Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Duke Scholars

Author H. Frederik Nijhout Biology