Scales with different colors make patterns and designs on the wings. These patterns are almost the same on the left and right wings, but patterns are very different on the front and back of the wing. Some butterflies have very colorful wings so other butterflies can see them and find them when they want to mate. Sometimes brightly colored butterflies are poisonous and bad-tasting. When other animals see them, they know not to eat them.
Some butterflies have dull colors on their wings.
This helps to camouflage or hide them so other animals won't eat them. Click here to see more butterfly scales up close. Dorling Kindersley Limited, 1992.