A new study has revealed that the stunning iridescent wings
of the tropical blue Morpho butterfly could expand the range of innovative
technologies.
Scientific lessons learnt from these butterflies have
already inspired designs of new displays, fabrics and cosmetics.
Now research by the University of Exeter, in collaboration
with General Electric (GE) Global Research Centre, University at Albany and Air
Force Research Laboratory, and funded by the US Defense Advanced Research
Projects Agency (DARPA), has discovered that the physical structure and surface
chemistry of the Morpho butterfly’s wings provides surprising properties that
could offer a variety of applications ranging from photonic security tags to
self cleaning surfaces and protective clothing and to industrial sensors.