Gallery of Colorful Wings

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Different fly species have different wing patterns.

(Image credit: E. Shevtsova/J. Kjaerandsen)

Different fly species have different wing patterns.

A female Closterocerus coffeellae, a fly collected in Colombia, looks drab against a white background and shines against black.

(Image credit: E. Shevtsova/J. Kjaerandsen)

A female Closterocerus coffeellae, a fly collected in Colombia, looks drab against a white background and shines against black.

Hidden colors decorate the wings of common fruit flies.

(Image credit: E. Shevtsova/J. Kjaerandsen)

Hidden colors decorate the wings of common fruit flies.

In the wild, insects often appear on dark backgrounds, like this green leaf.

(Image credit: E. Shevtsova/J. Kjaerandsen)

In the wild, insects often appear on dark backgrounds, like this green leaf.

Stephanie Pappas
Stephanie Pappas
Live Science Contributor

Stephanie Pappas is a contributing writer for Live Science, covering topics ranging from geoscience to archaeology to the human brain and behavior. She was previously a senior writer for Live Science but is now a freelancer based in Denver, Colorado, and regularly contributes to Scientific American and The Monitor, the monthly magazine of the American Psychological Association. Stephanie received a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of South Carolina and a graduate certificate in science communication from the University of California, Santa Cruz.