Exaggeration and suppression of iridescence: the evolution of two-dimensional butterfly structural colours.

ABSTRACT: Many butterfly species possess 'structural' colour, where colour is due to optical microstructures found in the wing scales. A number of such structures have been identified in butterfly scales, including three variations on a simple multi-layer structure. In this study, we optically characterize examples of all three types of multi-layer structure, as found in 10 species. The optical mechanism of the suppression and exaggeration of the angle-dependent optical properties (iridescence) of these structures is described. In addition, we consider the phylogeny of the butterflies, and are thus able to relate the optical properties of the structures to their evolutionary development. By applying two different types of analysis, the mechanism of adaptation is addressed. A simple parsimony analysi

SUBMITTER: Wickham S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1618482 | biostudies-literature | 2006 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature