Wing scale microstructures and nanostructures in butterflies-natural photonic crystals (original) (raw)
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Roaming of Materials Scientists in Biology: Structural Colours of Butterfly Wings
Acta Materialia Transylvanica
The photonic nanoarchitectures occurring in the wing scales of Lycaenid butterflies were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and UV-VIS spectroscopy. We found that the males of all the nine investigated species possess photonic nanoarchitectures built according to the same general “plan”, but each species exhibits species-specific features which results in species-specific colours reproduced generation by generation with a high degree of accuracy.
Photonic effects in natural nanostructures on Morpho cypris and Greta oto butterfly wings
Scientific Reports, 2020
Photonic crystals are some of the more spectacular realizations that periodic arrays can change the behavior of electromagnetic waves. In nature, so-called structural colors appear in insects and even plants. Some species create beautiful color patterns as part of biological behavior such as reproduction or defense mechanisms as a form of biomimetics. The interaction between light and matter occurs at the surface, producing diffraction, interference and reflectance, and light transmission is possible under suitable conditions. In particular, there are two Colombian butterflies, Morpho cypris and Greta oto, that exhibit iridescence phenomena on their wings, and in this work, we relate these phenomena to the photonic effect. The experimental and theoretical approaches of the optical response visible region were studied to understand the underlying mechanism behind the light–matter interaction on the wings of these Colombian butterflies. Our results can guide the design of novel device...
Materials, 2012
The coloration of butterflies that exhibit human visible iridescence from violet to green has been elucidated. Highly tilted multilayers of cuticle on the ridges, which were found in the scales of male S. charonda and E. mulciber butterflies, produce a limited-view, selective wavelength iridescence (ultraviolet (UV)~green) as a result of multiple interference between the cuticle-air layers. The iridescence from C. ataxus originates from multilayers in the groove plates between the ridges and ribs. The interference takes place between the top and bottom surfaces of each layer and incoherently between different layers. Consequently, the male with the layers that are ~270 nm thick reflects light of UV~560 nm (green) and the female with the layers that are ~191 nm thick reflects light of UV~400 nm (violet). T. aeacus does not produce the iridescent sheen which T. magellanus does. No iridescent sheen is ascribed to microrib layers, which are perpendicular to the scale plane, so that they cannot reflect any backscattering. The structures of these butterflies would
Physical Review E, 2006
Photonic crystal type nanostructures occurring in the scales of the butterfly Cyanophrys remus were investigated by optical and electron microscopy (SEM and TEM), reflectance measurements (specular, integrated and goniometric), by fast Fourier transform (FFT) analysis of micrographs and modeling, and by numerical simulation of the measured reflectance data. Evaluating the obtained data in a cross-correlated way we show that the metallic blue dorsal coloration originates from scales which individually are photonic single crystals of 50 x 120 µm 2 , while the matt pea-green coloration of the ventral side arises from the cumulative effect of randomly arranged, bright photonic crystal grains (blue, green and yellow) with typical diameters in the 3 -10 µm range. Both structures are based on a very moderate refractive index contrast between air and chitin. Using a bleached specimen, in which the pigment has decayed with time we investigated the role of pigment in photonic crystal material in the process of color generation. The possible biologic utility of the metallic blue (single crystal) and dull green (polycrystal) textures achieved with photonic crystals are briefly discussed. Potential applications in the field of colorants, flat panel displays, smart textiles and smart papers are surveyed.
Physical Review E, 2009
In order to study local and global order in butterfly wing scales possessing structural colors, we have developed a direct space algorithm, based on averaging the local environment of the repetitive units building up the structure. The method provides the statistical distribution of the local environments, including the histogram of the nearest-neighbor distance and the number of nearest neighbors. We have analyzed how the different kinds of randomness present in the direct space structure influence the reciprocal space structure. It was found that the Fourier method is useful in the case of a structure randomly deviating from an ordered lattice. The direct space averaging method remains applicable even for structures lacking long-range order. Based on the first Born approximation, a link is established between the reciprocal space image and the optical reflectance spectrum. Results calculated within this framework agree well with measured reflectance spectra because of the small width and moderate refractive index contrast of butterfly scales. By the analysis of the wing scales of Cyanophrys remus and Albulina metallica butterflies, we tested the methods for structures having long-range order, medium-range order, and short-range order.
Microscopy Research and Technique, 2012
Apatura ilia (Denis and Schiffermüller, 1775) and A. iris (Linnaeus, 1758) are fascinating butterflies found in the Palaearctic ecozone (excepting the north of Africa). The wings of these insects are covered with a great number of two types of scales positioned like roof tiles. Type I scales are on the surface, while type II scales are situated below them. The structural color of the type I scales is recognized only on the dorsal side of both the fore and hind wings of the males of the aforementioned species. Both types of scales are responsible for pigment color of the wings, but iridescence is observed only in the type I scales. The brilliant structural color is due to a multilayer structure. The features of the scales, their dimensions and fine structure were obtained using scanning electron microscopy. Cross sections of the scales were then analyzed by transmission electron microscopy. The scales of the “normal” and clytie forms of A. ilia have a different nanostructure, but are...
Unique wing scale photonics of male Rajah Brooke's birdwing butterflies
Frontiers in zoology, 2016
Ultrastructures in butterfly wing scales can take many shapes, resulting in the often striking coloration of many butterflies due to interference of light. The plethora of coloration mechanisms is dazzling, but often only single mechanisms are described for specific animals. We have here investigated the male Rajah Brooke's birdwing, Trogonoptera brookiana, a large butterfly from Malaysia, which is marked by striking, colorful wing patterns. The dorsal side is decorated with large, iridescent green patterning, while the ventral side of the wings is primarily brown-black with small white, blue and green patches on the hindwings. Dense arrays of red hairs, creating a distinct collar as well as contrasting areas ventrally around the thorax, enhance the butterfly's beauty. The remarkable coloration is realized by a diverse number of intricate and complicated nanostructures in the hairs as well as the wing scales. The red collar hairs contain a broad-band absorbing pigment as wel...
Correlating nanostructures with function: Structural colours in wings of a Malaysian beetle
2010
Structural colours refer to colours generated by nanostructures, with the characteristic dimension of the structures on the wavelength of the visible light (ie, some hundreds of nanometers). Examples for structural colours are the colours of CDs and DVDs, the colours of soap bubbles or oil films on water (thin films), or the colours of certain butterfly wings (eg, photonic crystals). Recently, we located a Malaysian bee with iridescent structural coloration on its wings.
Nanoscale cuticle density variations correlate with pigmentation and color in butterfly wing scales
arXiv (Cornell University), 2023
How pigment distribution correlates with cuticle density within a microscopic butterfly wing scale, and how both impact final reflected color remains unknown. We used ptychographic X-ray computed tomography to quantitatively determine, at nanoscale resolutions, the three-dimensional mass density of scales with pigmentation differences. By comparing cuticle densities with pigmentation and color within a scale, we determine that the lower lamina structure in all scales has the highest density and lowest pigmentation. Low pigment levels also correlate with sheet-like chitin structures as opposed to rod-like structures, and distinct density layers within the lower lamina help explain reflected color. We hypothesize that pigments, in addition to absorbing specific wavelengths, can affect cuticle polymerization, density, and refractive index, thereby impacting reflected wavelengths that produce structural colors. One-Sentence Summary: X-ray ptycho-tomography reveals density and structural variations in butterfly scale cuticles that correlate with pigmentation and color variations.
Hierarchical Morphogenesis of Swallowtail Butterfly Wing Scale Nanostructures
bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory), 2020
The development of color patterning in lepidopteran wings is of fundamental interest in evolution and developmental biology. While significant advances have recently been made in unravelling the cell and molecular basis of lepidopteran pigmentary coloration, the morphogenesis of wing scales, often involved in structural color preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder. All rights reserved. No reuse allowed without permission.