Butterflies [Lepidoptera] are insects which have large, often brightly colored wings, and a conspicuous, fluttering flight. Butterfly adults are characterized by their four, scale-covered wings, which give the Lepidoptera their name. These scales give the butterflies their colors. The wings are pigmented with melanistic colors , that give them blacks and browns, as well as uric acid derivatives which give them shades of yellow. The shades of blue, green, red, and iridescent colors are created by structural coloration, produced by the micro-structures of the scales and hairs. [Wikipedia]