Ok. So, I hope you read the last article about the process of Metamorphosis where the caterpillar changes miraculously into a butterfly while inside it’s chrysalis/pupa. It’s Hashem’s amazing, yet somewhat hidden, miracle that takes place in over 60% of over one million species of insects, and each one is a miracle! Part of that miracle is the forming and coloration of the butterfly’s beautiful wings while it’s inside the chrysalis/pupa.
This article will be a bit shorter in words and longer with pictures. In this case, a picture is worth a thousand word.
As we explained in the last article, there are special imaginal discs that are in the caterpillar which are designated to make the wings of the butterfly. This takes place during the approximately 8 days of the caterpillar’s miraculous transformation into a butterfly. The beautiful, amazing wings with their beautifully colored scales that are on the wings are created and formed during this time. The wings, depending on their size, are covered from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands, to even as much as a MILLION tiny scales. The wings and the scales are made up from chitin, similar to the material our nails are made of, but much, much thinner. This gives the wings a natural toughness, that allows them to stay in one piece even in very windy weather. Chitin is made of amino sugars and some nitrogen and some other chemicals. It’s a tough material but very light. The scales are also made of chitin, and they are quite light since they are filled with air. As we will see in pictures below, on the super microscopic level, a high percentage of the scales are just empty space full of air.
What’s the purpose of scales? They have many purposes. First and foremost, they show Hashem’s great wisdom, and amazing handiwork in creating great beauty in His world. Butterflies are from the most beautiful creatures on Earth and it’s the scales on their wings that are the source of the beauty! In addition, scales are very important since Hashem made them in a way that they are able to soak up a lot of heat from the sun, and that’s VERY important. Since all insects are cold blooded, so they need to actually warm up in order to be able to function properly, and the scales help greatly in this heating process. (Experiments show that they soak up sunlight much better than human made solar cells.) Warm blooded creatures (like humans) have special mechanisms in their body that enable them to keep a relatively steady warmth in their bodies. Humans have a 98.6 average constant warm temperature. However, cold blooded creatures, like insects, use various outside sources, one of them being the sun, to warm them up.) The scales also help with thermal insulation, which means that it keeps in the heat that gets captured under their scales. The scales also help greatly with camouflaging (hiding) the butterfly. They “paint” pictures and other patterns that help it blend in with their environment, by looking very similar to their surroundings. This makes sure that they aren’t too obvious, too conspicuous, to their predators that want to eat them. In some species, they “paint” scary looking eyes that help startle predators, and it gives them that extra few seconds to fly away. (Most brightly colored butterflies are also known to be toxic or poisonous, so they can be conspicuous.) (These two functions will be explained in a different article bl”n.) Scales are also very useful since they can come off very easily, and that helps butterflies escape when they get caught in sticky spider webs! The scales also help by significantly decreasing the drag of air over the wings, which thereby helps it fly quicker. They also act as a very important shield that protects the wings from rain. They act like shingles on a roof, which repels the rain when it beats down on it. That’s obviously extremely important as well. However, they can only take up to about 20 minutes of rain and water. After 20 minutes the actual wings below the scales will become waterlogged and that will typically ruin the wing and the butterfly will die. So, we see that scales are multi-functional! Of course, scientists have NO IDEA how these tiny intricate scale structures are actually made. It’s quite miraculous.
Here are pictures of scales and how they are attached to the wings. On the wings there’s a separate socket for each of the many thousands of individual scales. Below are two very good pictures of how scales are shaped. Notice in the picture there’s a picture of the leg/stalk/peg on the scales that fit into the sockets. Each peg is stuck into a socket and each socket is attached to the wing. The sockets are set up in even rows, going across row by row with the scales coming out of each socket. How the sockets themselves are attached to the wings I was only able to find a single answer. They say that they are attached with tiny microscopic hooks. (I wonder who sat there attaching EACH SOCKET to the wing??) Or did they perhaps grow out naturally from the wing? I am not sure what the correct answer is to that question. But here’s another question: WHO THOUGHT UP, AND SET UP, THESE TINY COLORFUL SCALES WITH SO MANY FUNCTIONS? AN ACCIDENT?? THAT’S ABSOLUTE INSANITY!
See the sockets all lined up in perfect row.
This a close up of one scale. The center box is showing a highly magnified picture of the scale. As you can see, a large percentage of the scale is actually just empty space of air, and that’s why the scales are so light. The structure part is what has the color on it. (The color is missing since the type of electron microscope used can’t pick up color.) Exactly what the colors are made of is not known. They use super powered electron microscopes to look deeply into the scale structure, and they still aren’t sure how the structure and its color develops! Can such tiny intricate structures happen by accident? These are all examples of Hashem’s amazing creations!!
Below, see how each individual scale is painted. The scales are painted in a way that it looks as if each one “knows” that it is part of a greater, bigger picture or pattern, and they somehow just happen to “know” the correct colors to use so that they will all blend together to create this bigger picture or pattern. Now these scales are brainless, very, very tiny structures, yet SOMEHOW – EACH SCALE “KNOWS” how to COLOR THEMSELVES in order to be part a greater specific picture when being placed one next to the other. How can they “know” this?! How can they “KNOW” what their predators will be seeing? How can an accident work this visual picture out? It’s absolutely impossible!!
Scales very often have in middle of them multiple colors and stripes and shapes THAT BLEND WITH ONE ANOTHER TO CREATE SPECIFIC PATTERNS AND PICTURES. THEY CAN BLEND WITH EACH OTHER TO MAKE HALF CIRCLES AND CIRCLE PICTURES OF AN EYE SPOT! Noone goes around inside the chrysalis/pupa and colors the scales!! No – it somehow grows this way during metamorphosis while it’s still in its chrysalis/pupa!!! How GREAT ARE YOUR WONDERS HASHEM!!
LOOK HOW MANY PATTERNS ARE ON THIS BUTTERFLY. THAT’S SOME ACCIDENT!!!!
Butterfly wing that had parts of its scales rubbed off. It’s transparent/see through, underneath!
About the Author
Rabbi Shmuel Waldman is a highly respected educator and scholar within the Jewish community, with over 50 years of dedication to religious study and teaching. Profoundly influenced by the teachings of Rabbi Avigdor Miller ZTL and closely connected to Rav Don Segal, shlit”a, Rabbi Waldman began his Torah journey at the renowned Mirrer Yeshiva. He later served as the Mashgiach at Yeshiva Mercaz Hatorah of Belle Harbor, guiding students with wisdom and insight.
In 2002, Rabbi Waldman authored Beyond a Reasonable Doubt: Convincing Evidence to the Truths of Judaism, a landmark work in the field of kiruv that has sold tens of thousands of copies. This book is celebrated for its clarity and depth in presenting Judaism’s core principles, inspiring both newcomers and seasoned learners.
Rabbi Waldman’s influence extends beyond his writings. He has taught at Yeshiva Tiferes Moshe and has been a beloved figure in various summer camps, where his passion for education has touched the lives of countless students. Recently, he has been working on an extensive Sefer focusing on the vital role of proper prayer. Alongside this, he has launched a blog and YouTube channel to explore Intelligent Design and offer a critical perspective on the Theory of Evolution.
Through his teaching, writing, and digital outreach, Rabbi Shmuel Waldman continues to inspire and educate a wide audience, leaving an enduring impact on Jewish education and thought.