4" wide and 3" tall in a 5" x 6" frame. The most colorful moth in the world, with the hindwing color of blue shifting as you change the angle of view into gold-green and then into gold and copper with bands of yellow. Give this butterfly to someone complex and share the science of why the color is so unusual: The color is a result of the scales covering the wing. Pigmented scales have submicroscopic structures varied enough to reflect different wavelengths of the light spectrum. Instead of a hollow scale, the Urania have scales of thin sheets held apart by rods. Mathematical calculations show in order for pure colors to be reflected, two sheets have to be counted as one. An increase in the number of sheets and variation in the distance between them plus the convex shape of the scale, cause reflection of different wavelengths at the same time, giving it a multicolored appearance. For a more information, click our button "The Science of Iridescence" $79.00 BugInABox.com searches the world for the finest in rare butterflies, beetles, and interesting insects, so you can enjoy them up close and personal. Copyright2004