The iridescence common to these beetles is not due to pigmentation in the exoskeleton but is instead an optical effect producing what are typically referred to as structural colours. The epicuticle, or outermost surface of the exoskeleton, is made of many stacks of slanting, plate-like layers. These interact with incoming light to produce a particular color through a combination of interference, refraction, or diffraction. The colour of the light changes with the viewing angle but is typically greens, blues and violets.
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