Scale of a moth wing

Scale of a moth wing

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Maybe you’ve heard one shouldn’t touch the wings of a butterfly because it will no longer be able to fly afterwards. Well, that’s partly correct. The wings of a butterfly or of a moth (in our case) are covered with scales (with the naked eye they resemble some kind of dust, but at the microscope they look like in the image above). These scales offer colour and strength to the wings. If a large part of these scales is removed by touching them, the wings become vulnerable and can even break, therefore affecting the insect’s ability to fly. However, the butterflies and the moths naturally lose their scales when they feed, fly or reproduce, but the lost quantity is moderate.