From glittering greenbottles to the shiny-bodied rose chafers, mint beetles and rosemary beetles common in British gardens, many insects possess spectacular iridescent colours.

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Until recently, it was thought that this bold coloration, in which the shade changes dramatically according to the light and viewing angle, served two functions. Namely, to ward off predators and attract mates. But iridescence may have a third purpose.

Research by the University of Bristol’s Camo Lab has discovered that it can also act as camouflage. Counter- intuitively, iridescence may help hide an insect among vegetation, especially in dappled lighting conditions, making it harder for a hungry bird to spot.

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Main image © Getty Images

Authors

Ben HoareScience writer and author, and editorial consultant, BBC Wildlife

Ben Hoare is a wildlife writer and editor, and proud to be an all-round ‘nature nerd’. He was features editor at BBC Wildlife magazine from 2008 to 2018, and after that its editorial consultant. Ben writes about seasonal natural-history highlights in every issue of the magazine, and also contributes longer conservation stories. His latest children’s book is 'Wild City', published in October 2020.

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