Iridescence Collection (page 6)

Iridescence C014 / 0284
Iridescence. Butterfly with iridescent wings on a surface coated with iridescent material. Iridescence is caused by the tiny microstructures of the surface reflecting light in different ways

Mother of pearl fabric C014 / 0316
Mother of pearl fabric. Close-up of a fabric (left) made using strips of mother of pearl, next to a pearly seashell (right), the source of mother of pearl

Peacock tail feather. Close-up of a tail feather from a male peacock (Pavo sp.), showing its iridescent colouring. The iridescence of this feather is produced by the tiny microstructures of

Peacock Ore C015 / 0881
Bornite is named after Ignaz von Born (1742-1791), Austrian mineralogist.Bornite has a brown to copper-red color on fresh surfaces that tarnishes to various iridescent shades of blue to purple in

Peacock Ore C015 / 0880
Bornite is named after Ignaz von Born (1742-1791), Austrian mineralogist.Bornite has a brown to copper-red color on fresh surfaces that tarnishes to various iridescent shades of blue to purple in

Cuckoo wasp (Chrysis ignita) on a leaf. Photographed in Poland

Banded demoiselle damselfly C014 / 3036
Banded demoiselle damselfly. Male banded demoiselle (Calopteryx splendens) on a leaf. This damselfly is often found along slow-flowing streams and rivers in Eurasia

Minotaur beetle. Female minotaur beetle (Typhaeus typhoeus) on sandy ground. This earth-boring dung beetle (family Geotrupidae)

Alder leaf beetle feeding on a leaf. The alder leaf beetle (Agelastica alni) is found in Europe, the Caucasus, Siberia, north-eastern Kazakhstan, and in the 19th century was introduced to the USA

Soap bubble film iridescence C017 / 8528
Soap bubble film iridescence. Iridescence is the property of certain surfaces to change colour depending on the angle of light refraction or reflection, or the angle of view

Soap bubble film iridescence C017 / 8529
Soap bubble film iridescence. Iridescence is the property of certain surfaces to change colour depending on the angle of light refraction or reflection, or the angle of view

Soap bubble iridescence C017 / 8525
Soap bubble iridescence. Iridescence is the property of certain surfaces to change colour depending on the angle of light refraction or reflection, or the angle of view

Soap bubble iridescence C017 / 8524
Soap bubble iridescence. Iridescence is the property of certain surfaces to change colour depending on the angle of light refraction or reflection, or the angle of view

Soap bubble iridescence C017 / 8523
Soap bubble iridescence. Iridescence is the property of certain surfaces to change colour depending on the angle of light refraction or reflection, or the angle of view

Shield bug head C018 / 2478
Shield bug head. Close-up of the head of a shield, or stink, bug (family Pentatomidae), showing it two eyes (black, upper left and right)

Cuckoo wasps. View of the upper side of a collection of Chrysantheda frontalis cuckoo wasps (family Chrysididae), showing their iridescent bodies

Magnificent hummingbird C018 / 2422
Magnificent hummingbird (Eugenes fulgens) perched on a plant. This hummingbird inhabits wooded areas in southern North America, from Arizona, USA, to Mexico

Violet sabrewing hummingbird C018 / 2470
Violet sabrewing hummingbird. Female violet sabrewing (Campylopterus hemileucurus) hovering in flight. This large hummingbird reaches lengths of 15 centimetres

Blowflies. Assorted selection of Rutilia sp. blowflies from Australia. Seen here are R. splendida, R. formosa, R. rubiceps, R. serena and R. regalis

Frog-legged leaf beetles. View of the upper side of a group of frog-legged leaf beetles (Sagra buqueti). These specimens are from Malaysia. Their bodies measure 2.5cm long

Monkey beetles. View of the upper side of two species of monkey beetle (subfamily Rutelinae) scarab beetles (family Scarabaeidae) from Mexico

Ground beetle specimen collection. Box containing preserved specimens of various iridescent Carabus sp. ground beetles (family Carabidae) found in Europe. Seen here are: C. auronitens, C

Violet sabrewing hummingbird C018 / 2469
Violet sabrewing hummingbird. Female violet sabrewing (Campylopterus hemileucurus) hovering in flight. This large hummingbird reaches lengths of 15 centimetres

Magnificent hummingbird in flight C018 / 2421
Magnificent hummingbird (Eugenes fulgens) in flight. This hummingbird inhabits wooded areas in southern North America, from Arizona, USA, to Mexico

Magnificent hummingbird in flight C018 / 2423
Magnificent hummingbird (Eugenes fulgens) in flight. This hummingbird inhabits wooded areas in southern North America, from Arizona, USA, to Mexico

Metallic wood boring beetles. View of the upper side of four metallic wood boring beetles (Euchroma gigantea). E. gigantea is the largest of the buprestid beetles

Violet sabrewing hummingbird C018 / 2471
Violet sabrewing hummingbird. Female violet sabrewing (Campylopterus hemileucurus) hovering in flight. This large hummingbird reaches lengths of 15 centimetres

Jewel beetles. View of the upper side of a number of Madecassia rothschildi jewel beetles (family Buprestidae, showing their iridescent bodies. The bodies of these specimens measure 5cm long)

Green violetear hummingbird in flight C018 / 2401
Green violetear hummingbird (Colibri thalassinus) in flight. This large hummingbird is found in mountain forests and scrubland in the tropics from Mexico to northern South America

Fiery-throated hummingbird C018 / 2395
Fiery-throated hummingbird on a branch. The fiery-throated hummingbird (Panterpe insignis) is a medium-sized hummingbird (family Trochilidae)

Giant cockroaches
INS-BLATTO-143-Trichoblatta magnifica.Nom commun: Blatte Ordre: Dictyoptère (du grec, diktuon, filet, r

Beetles with metallic iridescence C016 / 5444
Beetles with metallic iridescence. Pair of beetles with gold (left) and silver (right) metallic iridescence. These specimens are part of the collections of the Natural History Museum, London, UK

Butterfly wing scales, light micrograph C016 / 3037
Butterfly wing scales. Darkfield illuminated light micrograph of scales on a butterflys (order Lepidoptera) wing. Magnification: x220, when printed 10 centimetres wide

Imitation mother of pearl fabric C014 / 0231
Imitation mother of pearl fabric. Close-up of a fabric made using plastic that has been treated to look like mother of pearl

Imitation mother of pearl fabric C014 / 0230
Imitation mother of pearl fabric. Close-up of a fabric made using plastic that has been treated to look like mother of pearl

Butterfly wing scale, SEM
Butterfly wing scale, coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM). A butterflys scales are modified hairs, or setae, and are made of chitin, a common substance in insect exoskeletons

Butterfly wing scale. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of a scale from the underside of a wing of a blue morpho (Morpho peleides) butterfly

Megascolia procer, wasp

Milionia paradisea

Carpenter Bee, Xylocopa virginica, feeding on Mealy sage (Salvia farinacea), Uvalde County, Hill Country, Texas, USA

Bronzed Cowbird, Molothrus aeneus, male bathing, Willacy County, Rio Grande Valley, Texas, USA

Wild Turkey, Meleagris gallopavo, male, Lake Corpus Christi, Texas, USA

Black Grouse, Tetrao tetrix, male displaying, Wallis, Switzerland

Madagascan day moth wing. Macrophotograph of an eyespot on the wing of a Madagascan day moth (Chrysiridia madagascarensis)

Peacock head. The peacock is the male blue peafowl (Pavo cristatus). Only the male has the iridescent blue crest and showy train of feathers (not seen), which are used in mating displays to females

Female banded demoiselle damselfly (Calopteryx splendens) on a bramble leaf (Rubus sp.). Damselflies undergo incomplete metamorphosis

Common blue damselfly on a sundew leaf
Common blue damselfly (Enallagma cyathigerum) trapped on the leaf of an English sundew (Drosera anglica). Also known as the common bluet

Coloured SEM of wing scales of Morpho butterfly
Butterfly wing. Coloured scanning electron micro- graph (SEM) of scales on the wing of a male Morpho butterfly (family: Morphidae) found in Brazil

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"Iridescence: Nature's Dazzling Display of Colors" Nature never fails to amaze us with its breathtaking iridescence. From the vibrant hues of a Green Hermit Hummingbird and the delicate petals of a passion flower in Costa Rica, to the intricate patterns on a butterfly wing as seen through a scanning electron microscope (SEM), iridescence is everywhere. Even something as simple as soap bubbles can transform into shimmering spheres of rainbow colors, captivating both young and old alike. In Lake Corpus Christi, Texas, USA, male Wild Turkeys proudly display their iridescent feathers during courtship rituals, creating an enchanting spectacle for all who witness it. Butterfly wing scales are another prime example of nature's mastery in creating iridescent beauty. The Blue Jay in San Antonio, Texas showcases its stunning plumage that seems to change color depending on the angle from which it is viewed. In Podere Montecucco, Orvieto, Italy, a Ruby-tailed / Cuckoo wasp delicately perches on Mexican daisy / Fleabane flowers while exhibiting its own mesmerizing metallic sheen. Meanwhile, under close examination through a macro lens lies the fascinating world of slime mould sporangia - tiny structures only 1mm tall but radiating with luminous splendor. The Black Grouse males at lek in Finland create an awe-inspiring scene as they gather together showcasing their glossy black feathers adorned with striking pops of iridescent blue and purple tones. Sheet ice crystals reveal their hidden beauty when viewed under polarized light; each crystal reflecting prismatic colors like miniature rainbows. Even bacteria have joined this symphony - iron and manganese oxidizers alongside their complementary reducers form colonies that glimmer with metallic shades unseen by the naked eye.