Dr. Universe: What are butterfly wings made of? Serenity, 12
rcwebberDear Serenity,
Butterfly wings may be quite thin, but they are also durable and strong. This strength comes from the material that makes up the wings: chitin (KITE-IN).
Chitin is a kind of building material we find in nature. Chitin makes up not only the wings of butterflies but also the outer skeletons—or exoskeletons—of crabs, shrimp and lots of other insects.
My friend David James, an entomologist at Washington State University, told me all about it.
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