Physical and behavioral adaptations to prevent overheating of the living wings of butterflies.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Tsai CC
PROVIDER: S-EPMC6987309 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jan
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Publications
Physical and behavioral adaptations to prevent overheating of the living wings of butterflies.
Tsai Cheng-Chia CC Childers Richard A RA Nan Shi Norman N Ren Crystal C Pelaez Julianne N JN Bernard Gary D GD Pierce Naomi E NE Yu Nanfang N
Nature communications 20200128 1
The wings of Lepidoptera contain a matrix of living cells whose function requires appropriate temperatures. However, given their small thermal capacity, wings can overheat rapidly in the sun. Here we analyze butterfly wings across a wide range of simulated environmental conditions, and find that regions containing living cells are maintained at cooler temperatures. Diverse scale nanostructures and non-uniform cuticle thicknesses create a heterogeneous distribution of radiative cooling that selec ...[more]
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