What is the powder like material found on the wings of butterflies? What is its use?

Question: What is the powder like material found on the wings of butterflies? What is its use?
- Keywords:
  butterfly,
  material,
  powder,
  wing
Asked by beckybeth to David, Luna, Mark, Melanie, Probash on 25 Mar 2011 in Categories: General.
- Luna Munoz answered on 24 Mar 2011:
  
  They are tiny scales on the wings. They’re a bit like human skin cells, which get shed and reproduced. The use is to make the colours brighter and to attract mates.
- David Pyle answered on 25 Mar 2011:
  
  Sorry, I don’t know this one!

Question: What is the powder like material found on the wings of butterflies? What is its use?