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Ţălu Ş, Morozov IA, Sobola D, Škarvada P. Multifractal Characterization of Butterfly Wings Scales. Bull Math Biol 2018; 80:2856-2870. [PMID: 30194522 DOI: 10.1007/s11538-018-0490-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2018] [Accepted: 08/24/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
A lot of insect families have physical structures created by evolution for coloration. These structures are a source of ideas for new bio-inspired materials. The aim of this study was to quantitatively characterize the micromorphology of butterfly wings scales using atomic force microscopy and multifractal analysis. Two types of butterflies, Euploea mulciber ("striped blue crow") and Morpho didius ("giant blue morpho"), were studied. The three-dimensional (3D) surface texture of the butterfly wings scales was investigated focusing on two areas: where the perceived colors strongly depend on and where they do not depend on the viewing angle. The results highlight a correlation between the surface coloration and 3D surface microtexture of butterfly wings scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ştefan Ţălu
- The Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, The Directorate of Research, Development and Innovation Management (DMCDI), Constantin Daicoviciu Street, No. 15, 400020, Cluj-Napoca, Cluj County, Romania
| | - Ilya A Morozov
- Institute of Continuous Media Mechanics UB RAS, 1 Korolev St., Perm, Russia, 614013
| | - Dinara Sobola
- Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Communication, Physics Department, Brno University of Technology, Technická 8, 616 00, Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Pavel Škarvada
- Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Communication, Physics Department, Brno University of Technology, Technická 8, 616 00, Brno, Czech Republic
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Tsai CC, Monaenkova D, Beard CE, Adler PH, Kornev KG. Paradox of the drinking-straw model of the butterfly proboscis. J Exp Biol 2014; 217:2130-8. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.097998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Fluid-feeding Lepidoptera use an elongated proboscis, conventionally modeled as a drinking straw, to feed from pools and films of liquid. Using the monarch butterfly, Danaus plexippus (Linnaeus), we show that the inherent structural features of the lepidopteran proboscis contradict the basic assumptions of the drinking-straw model. By experimentally characterizing permeability and flow in the proboscis, we show that tapering of the food canal in the drinking region increases resistance, significantly hindering the flow of fluid. The calculated pressure differential required for a suction pump to support flow along the entire proboscis is greater than 1 atm (~101 kPa) when the butterfly feeds from a pool of liquid. We suggest that behavioral strategies employed by butterflies and moths can resolve this paradoxical pressure anomaly. Butterflies can alter the taper, the interlegular spacing and the terminal opening of the food canal, thereby controlling fluid entry and flow, by splaying the galeal tips apart, sliding the galeae along one another, pulsing hemolymph into each galeal lumen, and pressing the proboscis against a substrate. Thus, although physical construction of the proboscis limits its mechanical capabilities, its functionality can be modified and enhanced by behavioral strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen-Chih Tsai
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
| | - Daria Monaenkova
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
- School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Charles E. Beard
- School of Agricultural, Forest and Environmental Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
| | - Peter H. Adler
- School of Agricultural, Forest and Environmental Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
| | - Konstantin G. Kornev
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
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