First of all, butterflies don’t have just two wings, they have four (made up of two hindwings and two forewings). These wings are made up of two layers of the protein chitin, sandwiching a layer of capillaries. The chitin is covered with modified hairs called ‘scales’ that contain pigments (such as our very own melanin, found in brown butterflies) that reflect light in different colours. Over time, some of these colourful scales will rub off, exposing the transparent membrane.
It is a myth that rubbing these off by hand will prevent butterflies from flying, however it might leave the translucent membrane more prone to tears, which might hinder flight. Butterfly wings are very delicate so make sure to avoid touching them if possible.
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Note: The Glasswinged butterfly (Greta oto) provides an example of what butterflies might look like if the scales on their wings did not reflect light in this way. You won’t see one in Britain as they are mainly found in Mexico, Panama and Colombia, but it’s worth checking out nonetheless.
