Reflectance spectra of a pseudo-periodic multilayer derived from Calliphora vicina photonic model (Fig. 7) with random thickness deviations of ± 15 nm in the high-contrast layers and ± 5 nm in the low-contrast layers. The resulting calculated spectra were averaged over incidence angles from −5° to +5°. A broader reflectance peak than the ideal model (Fig. 8a) is observed, though still narrower than the measured spectrum (Fig. 3a).