When the butterfly emerged from its pupa, Robert Reed was stunned. It was a Gulf fritillary—a bright-orange species with a few tigerlike stripes. But this butterfly had no trace of orange ...

Plasmonic paint applied to the wings of metal butterflies (Credit: University of Central Florida) Every paint in the world today takes on a specific color due to the presence of pigment molecules.

Here the plasmonic paint is applied to the wings of metal butterflies, the insect that inspired the research. (Image: UCF) “The range of colors and hues in the natural world are astonishing — from ...