[Taiwan][Geo][Larentiinae]

[hkmoths]

hihi, just a question.
does this moth camouflage with the surrounding colours like what a chameleon does?
coz in the first picture, it looks like the background it's resting on.


thanks for replying

No - moths can't change colours in the same way chameleons or some cephalopods can, the pigments are fixed in the scales and the underlying exoskeleton. However, some species (moths and butterflies) which have scales that refract light can have an overlying sheen, usually blue or purple, that is seen at certain angles; this is caused by the structural properties of the scales. Refractive colours are taken to an extreme in the sunset moths (Urania spp.) which have literally every colour of the rainbow visible through this mechanism.

cheers,

Roger.

[Snowywolf]

No - moths can't change colours in the same way chameleons or some cephalopods can, the pigments are fixed in the scales and the underlying exoskeleton. However, some species (moths and butterflies) which have scales that refract light can have an overlying sheen, usually blue or purple, that is seen at certain angles; this is caused by the structural properties of the scales. Refractive colours are taken to an extreme in the sunset moths (Urania spp.) which have literally every colour of the rainbow visible through this mechanism.

cheers,

Roger.

Thanks Mr Roger

Upon your clear explanations, I re-looked at the pictures and found the two moths pretty different too. They might be of different species like you've suggested. Thank you so much for spending time to answer our queries.

Cheerios,
Jayne