The structure and properties of natural photonic crystals are discussed using the colored scales of the beetle Lamprocyphus augustus as an example. While the exact mechanism behind the formation of these biopolymeric photonic structures has yet to be fully explored, similarities of these structures to intracellular cubic membrane architectures are introduced. Some crucial parameters behind the formation of cubic membranes are discussed. Using these insights, intracellular cubic membrane structures are transformed into an extracellular environment.