Silver Spotted Skipper - Epargyreus claris - a heavily worn specimen. This illustrates the fact that the chitin which forms the basic structure of butterfly and moth wings is virtually transparent. What gives them the colors and patterns that we admire for their beauty are layers of scales on the upper and lower surfaces. Over time, these can be worn away and they are not replaced. Here you can see spots where the scales are gone from both the top and the bottom so that the flowers it is perched on show through.