There are over 18,000 species of butterflies in the world, displaying an incredible diversity of colors and patterns on their wings. While the most common butterfly colors are whites, yellows, oranges, and browns, some species do exhibit pink and purple hues. In this article, we’ll examine if truly pink or purple butterflies exist, what causes butterflies to have different colors, and some examples of butterflies that display shades of pink and purple.
Do pink and purple butterflies exist?
The short answer is yes, there are a few butterfly species in the world that display shades of pink and purple on their wings. However, these colors are relatively rare in the butterfly world and often appear alongside other brighter hues like orange, black, and blue.
True pink or purple butterflies, with wings solely in those color ranges, do not exist in nature. But some species like the Pink-spotted Hairstreak and Blue Morpho butterflies do have sections or spots on their wings that contain pink or purple pigments.
The pinks and purples are created through a combination of the butterfly’s pigments and the structure of their wing scales. The colors appear due to selective reflection and refraction of specific wavelengths of light.
What causes the different colors in butterfly wings?
There are two main mechanisms that create the diversity of butterfly wing colors:
1. Pigments – Butterflies contain pigments like melanin, carotenoids, ommochromes, and pteridines that absorb certain wavelengths of light and reflect others. This produces colors through a subtractive mechanism.
2. Structural coloration – Microscopic structures on the surface of butterfly wing scales reflect light interferentially to produce colors. This mechanism is additive and allows butterflies to produce blues, purples, pinks, and iridescent colors.
The most common butterfly pigments are melanin (blacks), carotenoids (oranges), and ommochromes (yellows). Pink and purple hues are usually created by combining a structural purplish-blue color with a pinkish-red pigment. Only a handful of butterflies possess the specific pigments to produce true pinks or purples.
Butterfly species with pink and purple hues
Here are some examples of butterflies that display shades of pink and purple on their wings:
Pink-spotted Hairstreak (Strymon bubastus)
This small butterfly is found in parts of Central and North America. As its name suggests, it has small pink spots on its grayish-brown wings. The pink spots are created by a combination of ommochrome pigments and the layered structure of the wing scales.
Purple Hairstreak (Neozephyrus japonica)
Native to Asia, this appropriately named butterfly has iridescent purple wings when viewed from certain angles. The color is not created by pigments but through structural coloration, meaning the wing scales reflect certain wavelengths of light preferentially.
Purple-washed Polyommatus (Polyommatus daphnis)
This European butterfly in the family Lycaenidae has wings that look washed in purple when fresh. The background color comes from the blending of a violet-blue structural color with a pinkish-violet pigment. The eyespots contain black, white, and metallic bluish-purple scales.
Blue Morpho (Morpho peleides)
While most famous for its brilliant blue color, the underside of the Blue Morpho’s wings contains shades of purple and pink alongside browns, blacks, and blues. The pinks come from an accumulation of pigments, while the purple and blue result from structural coloration. This butterfly is native to Central and South America.
Pink Rose (Pachliopta aristolochiae)
This spectacular butterfly from Southeast Asia gets its name from the bright pink bands and spots on its black wings. The pink color likely comes from a combination of pigments as well as structural coloration. Tiny scales with ridges and cross-ribs reflects light at specific wavelengths to produce the vivid pink hues.
Why are pink and purple butterflies rare?
Truly pink and purple butterflies are rare in nature for a couple reasons:
– Lack of suitable pink/purple pigments – Ommochrome pigments produce yellows and reds, but natural bright pink or purple pigments don’t exist in most butterflies. Iridescent structural colors are often blue and purple.
– Dietary restrictions – Pink and purple pigments require access to limited food sources that contain the molecular precursors to manufacture those colors. Their rarity in nature limits butterflies’ access.
– Camouflage and mimicry – Bright pink and purple butterflies are easier for predators to spot. Most butterfly species benefit from camouflaging among green vegetation or mimicking other distasteful species.
– Temperature dependent expression – Some pink or purple hues only emerge at certain temperatures or light conditions. Cooler environments may limit the development of these more delicate colors.
– Sexual selection – In many species, the pinks and purples are limited to one sex, usually the males. This suggests the colors play a role in mate selection, but aren’t widely beneficial for the species’ survival.
Conclusion
While vivid pink and purple butterflies are rare, a handful of species do express pinkish and purplish hues alongside other colors. This is produced by a combination of specialized pigments and structural coloration mechanisms. Truly monochromatic pink or purple butterflies don’t exist naturally due to limitations in dietary pigment precursors, the benefit of camouflage, and constraints related to temperatures, lighting, and sexual selection. Nonetheless, the diversity of butterfly colors continues to astound scientists and nature enthusiasts alike.
| Butterfly Species | Location | Pink/Purple Coloration |
|---|---|---|
| Pink-spotted Hairstreak | Central and North America | Small pink spots on wings |
| Purple Hairstreak | Asia | Iridescent purple wings |
| Purple-washed Polyommatus | Europe | Wings look washed in purple |
| Blue Morpho | Central and South America | Purple underside of wings |
| Pink Rose | Southeast Asia | Bright pink bands on wings |
Pink and purple butterflies exist, but are relatively rare in nature for several reasons:
– Lack of suitable pigments to produce bright pinks/purples
– Dietary restrictions limit pigment precursors
– Camouflage and mimicry select for other colors
– Temperature affects color expression
– Sexual selection leads to colors only in one sex
Nonetheless, some species like the Pink-spotted Hairstreak, Purple Hairstreak, Purple-washed Polyommatus, Blue Morpho, and Pink Rose do express various shades of pink and purple alongside other colors like blues, blacks, and oranges. These unique hues arise from specialized pigments and structural colors.
