The exquisite coloration of butterflies is produced by pigments, structure, or a combination of the two. Structural colors are produced by microscopic scales that cover their wings. The ribbing and angled position of these translucent scales refract light. This produces a stunning metallic sheen, or irridescence.
All colors have some survival or adaptive significance.
Some patterns are drab to blend in with environment, others have brilliant patches which break up the overall wing shape mimicking the fragmented light one encounters in rain forests. Spiders and Scorpions, which belong to the class Arachnida, are commonly mistaken for insects. Arachnids differ from Insects in their anatomy and development from immature to mature stages. Arachnids do not undergo transformation, Insects metamorphose through stages - larval, pupal, and adult. Finally, the eyes of Arachnids are simple while those of the Insects are compound.