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Secret "transparent material" in the colors of the butterfly

October 4th, 2014 at 09:52 clock Updated BST

New research published by the Museum of Natural History has shown that it is possible to create butterfly wings iridescent colors in the laboratory to culture cells.

For today's program, Professor Andrew Parker, who led the study, explained that butterflies produce their wing colors with "completely transparent material that reflects light and breaks certain way."

He added that "There is no dye or pigment at all, so that it is transparent." In most cases You "tiny structures that interact with light waves that produce these very bright reflections."

"It's something we want to copy that in the industry."

First broadcast on the Today program on BBC Radio 4 Saturday, October 4.