Butterflies and moths are delicate organisms that flutter through the air on wings coated with minuscule scales. They belong to an order of insects called Lepidoptera. The scales provide a number of benefits, but the most obvious is that they can scatter light to create vivid colors and patterns. This is achieved through tiny structures on their surface that diffract light.Despite being among the tiniest parts of a butterfly, the fossilized scales are the oldest evidence of moths and butterflies ever discovered. Dating to around 200 million years ago, they were recovered from a 10g sample of sediment dug up in Germany. From this one sample, which once sat at the bottom of a lagoon, seven different species of Lepidoptera were discovered.[1]
