Update October 24, 2008: added another male showing his colors, at the bottom of the page.
This male Silver Emperor Doxocopa
laure was at the NABA Garden, Hidalgo County, Texas
on November 28, 2004:
The male Silver Emperor is a striking butterfly, with snazzy bands
of orange and white....
- but watch as slight changes in viewing angle transform the rear
wing from "ordinary" white and brown....
...to speckles of irridescent blue as the structural color crystals
start to align with the Sun and the camera...
... then to pulsing, startling deep violet-blue as the crystals
are almost aligned for their full effect...
- and voila!:
Update October 24, 2008: a male from NABA-IBP on October 22, 2008:
