Multi-scale dissection of wing transparency in the clearwing butterfly Phanus vitreus.

ABSTRACT: Optical transparency is rare in terrestrial organisms, and often originates through loss of pigmentation and reduction in scattering. The coloured wings of some butterflies and moths have repeatedly evolved transparency, offering examples of how they function optically and biologically. Because pigments are primarily localized in the scales that cover a colourless wing membrane, transparency has often evolved through the complete loss of scales or radical modification of their shape. Whereas bristle-like scales have been well documented in glasswing butterflies, other scale modifications resulting in transparency remain understudied. The butterfly Phanus vitreus achieves transparency while retaining its scales and exhibiting blue/cyan transparent zones. Here, we investigate the mech

SUBMITTER: Finet C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10230327 | biostudies-literature | 2023 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature