Final answer:
The different colors on the wings of Morpho peleides butterfly suggest that the microstructures of the scales vary between the inner and outer regions, even though both are made of chitin. Structural coloration, which involves the arrangement of microstructures to reflect specific light wavelengths, is likely responsible for the blue inner wings, while the outer reddish areas may have different structures or additional pigments.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question discusses the different colors observed on the wings of Morpho peleides, a butterfly species, specifically noting that the outer portions of the wings are reddish while the inner parts are blue. Both regions have scales composed of chitin, the same substance that makes up much of an insect's exoskeleton. Since the exoskeleton includes components like the cuticle, which has the epicuticle and procuticle (with exocuticle and endocuticle layers), these structures provide a protective, yet flexible, covering for insects. Despite both scale regions being made of chitin, the colors differ due to the microstructure of the scales, which affects how light interacts with them.
To understand the color difference, we must recognize that coloration in butterfly wings can arise from pigmentation or structural coloration. In this case, it is likely that the scales on the inner wings are structured in such a way that they reflect blue light due to structural coloration, a phenomenon where arrangements of microscopic structures interfere with light waves to enhance certain colors. On the outer parts of the wings, where the scales appear reddish, the microstructures are probably arranged differently, or there may be actual pigments present in addition to structural differences, leading to the reddish hue to be reflected.
The chitin-protein complex can be arranged in various layers and patterns, which results in different colors due to light interference and reflection. This means that while the chemical composition of the scales is the same across different parts of the wing, the microstructure must differ in the inner blue region compared to the outer reddish region, leading to the observed color differences, which could potentially be due to the angle, spacing, or shape of the scales.