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Thayer RC, Patel NH. A meta-analysis of butterfly structural colors: their color range, distribution and biological production. J Exp Biol 2023; 226:jeb245940. [PMID: 37937662 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.245940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2023]
Abstract
Butterfly scales are among the richest natural sources of optical nanostructures, which produce structural color and iridescence. Several recurring nanostructure types have been described, such as ridge multilayers, gyroids and lower lamina thin films. While the optical mechanisms of these nanostructure classes are known, their phylogenetic distributions and functional ranges have not been described in detail. In this Review, we examine a century of research on the biological production of structural colors, including their evolution, development and genetic regulation. We have also created a database of more than 300 optical nanostructures in butterflies and conducted a meta-analysis of the color range, abundance and phylogenetic distribution of each nanostructure class. Butterfly structural colors are ubiquitous in short wavelengths but extremely rare in long wavelengths, especially red. In particular, blue wavelengths (around 450 nm) occur in more clades and are produced by more kinds of nanostructures than other hues. Nanostructure categories differ in prevalence, phylogenetic distribution, color range and brightness. For example, lamina thin films are the least bright; perforated lumen multilayers occur most often but are almost entirely restricted to the family Lycaenidae; and 3D photonic crystals, including gyroids, have the narrowest wavelength range (from about 450 to 550 nm). We discuss the implications of these patterns in terms of nanostructure evolution, physical constraint and relationships to pigmentary color. Finally, we highlight opportunities for future research, such as analyses of subadult and Hesperid structural colors and the identification of genes that directly build the nanostructures, with relevance for biomimetic engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel C Thayer
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Nipam H Patel
- Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
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Liu C, Li P, Song F, Stamhuis EJ, Sun J. Design optimization and wind tunnel investigation of a flapping system based on the flapping wing trajectories of a beetle's hindwings. Comput Biol Med 2022; 140:105085. [PMID: 34864303 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2021.105085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2021] [Revised: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 11/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
To design a flapping-wing micro air vehicle (FWMAV), the hovering flight action of a beetle species (Protaetia brevitarsis) was captured, and various parameters, such as the hindwing flapping frequency, flapping amplitude, angle of attack, rotation angle, and stroke plane angle, were obtained. The wing tip trajectories of the hindwings were recorded and analyzed, and the flapping kinematics were assessed. Based on the wing tip trajectory functions, bioinspired wings and a linkage mechanism flapping system were designed. The critical parameters for the aerodynamic characteristics were investigated and optimized by means of wind tunnel tests, and the artificial flapping system with the best wing parameters was compared with the natural beetle. This work provides insight into how natural flyers execute flight by experimentally duplicating beetle hindwing kinematics and paves the way for the future development of beetle-mimicking FWMAVs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Liu
- Key Laboratory of Bionic Engineering (Ministry of Education, China), Jilin University, Changchun, 130022, PR China; Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Groningen, 9747, AG Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Pengpeng Li
- Key Laboratory of Bionic Engineering (Ministry of Education, China), Jilin University, Changchun, 130022, PR China
| | - Fa Song
- Key Laboratory of Bionic Engineering (Ministry of Education, China), Jilin University, Changchun, 130022, PR China
| | - Eize J Stamhuis
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Groningen, 9747, AG Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Jiyu Sun
- Key Laboratory of Bionic Engineering (Ministry of Education, China), Jilin University, Changchun, 130022, PR China.
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Dou S, Xu H, Zhao J, Zhang K, Li N, Lin Y, Pan L, Li Y. Bioinspired Microstructured Materials for Optical and Thermal Regulation. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2021; 33:e2000697. [PMID: 32686250 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202000697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2020] [Revised: 04/28/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Precise optical and thermal regulatory systems are found in nature, specifically in the microstructures on organisms' surfaces. In fact, the interaction between light and matter through these microstructures is of great significance to the evolution and survival of organisms. Furthermore, the optical regulation by these biological microstructures is engineered owing to natural selection. Herein, the role that microstructures play in enhancing optical performance or creating new optical properties in nature is summarized, with a focus on the regulation mechanisms of the solar and infrared spectra emanating from the microstructures and their role in the field of thermal radiation. The causes of the unique optical phenomena are discussed, focusing on prevailing characteristics such as high absorption, high transmission, adjustable reflection, adjustable absorption, and dynamic infrared radiative design. On this basis, the comprehensive control performance of light and heat integrated by this bioinspired microstructure is introduced in detail and a solution strategy for the development of low-energy, environmentally friendly, intelligent thermal control instruments is discussed. In order to develop such an instrument, a microstructural design foundation is provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuliang Dou
- National Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on Advanced Composites, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150006, China
| | - Hongbo Xu
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150001, China
| | - Jiupeng Zhao
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150001, China
| | - Ke Zhang
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150001, China
| | - Na Li
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150001, China
| | - Yipeng Lin
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150001, China
| | - Lei Pan
- National Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on Advanced Composites, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150006, China
| | - Yao Li
- Center for Composite Materials and Structure, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150001, China
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Li X, Guo C. Wing-kinematics measurement and flight modelling of the bamboo weevil C. buqueti. IET Nanobiotechnol 2020; 14:53-58. [PMID: 31935678 PMCID: PMC8676614 DOI: 10.1049/iet-nbt.2019.0261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2019] [Revised: 09/08/2019] [Accepted: 09/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Insects are one of the most agile flyers in nature, and studying the kinematics of their wings can provide important data for the design of insect-like wing-flapping micro aerial vehicles. This study integrates high-speed photogrammetry and three-dimensional (3D) force measurement system to explore the kinematics of Cyrtotrachelus buqueti during the wing-flapping flight. The tracking point at the wing tip of the hind wing was recorded using high-speed videography. The lift-thrust force characteristic of wing-flapping motion was obtained by the 3D force sensor. Quantitative measurements of wing kinematics show that the wing-flapping pattern of the hind wing of C. buqueti was revealed as a double figure-eight trajectory. The kinematic modelling of the wing-flapping pattern was then established by converting the flapping motion into rotational motion about the pivoting wing base in the reference coordinate system. Moreover, the lift force generated by C. buqueti during the wing-flapping flight is sufficient to support its body weight without the need to use thrust force to compensate for the lack of lift force.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Li
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Bionic Functional Materials, Institute of Bio-inspired Structure and Surface Engineering, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing 210016, People's Republic of China
| | - Ce Guo
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Bionic Functional Materials, Institute of Bio-inspired Structure and Surface Engineering, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing 210016, People's Republic of China.
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Day CR, Hanly JJ, Ren A, Martin A. Sub-micrometer insights into the cytoskeletal dynamics and ultrastructural diversity of butterfly wing scales. Dev Dyn 2019; 248:657-670. [PMID: 31107575 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.63] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2019] [Revised: 05/13/2019] [Accepted: 05/16/2019] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The color patterns that adorn lepidopteran wings are ideal for studying cell type diversity using a phenomics approach. Color patterns are made of chitinous scales that are each the product of a single precursor cell, offering a 2D system where phenotypic diversity can be studied cell by cell, both within and between species. Those scales reveal complex ultrastructures in the sub-micrometer range that are often connected to a photonic function, including iridescent blues and greens, highly reflective whites, or light-trapping blacks. RESULTS We found that during scale development, Fascin immunostainings reveal punctate distributions consistent with a role in the control of actin patterning. We quantified the cytoskeleton regularity as well as its relationship to chitin deposition sites, and confirmed a role in the patterning of the ultrastructures of the adults scales. Then, in an attempt to characterize the range and variation in lepidopteran scale ultrastructures, we devised a high-throughput method to quickly derive multiple morphological measurements from fluorescence images and scanning electron micrographs. We imaged a multicolor eyespot element from the butterfly Vanessa cardui (V. cardui), taking approximately 200 000 individual measurements from 1161 scales. Principal component analyses revealed that scale structural features cluster by color type, and detected the divergence of non-reflective scales characterized by tighter cross-rib distances and increased orderedness. CONCLUSION We developed descriptive methods that advance the potential of butterfly wing scales as a model system for studying how a single cell type can differentiate into a multifaceted spectrum of complex morphologies. Our data suggest that specific color scales undergo a tight regulation of their ultrastructures, and that this involves cytoskeletal dynamics during scale growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher R Day
- Department of Biological Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia.,Epigenetics and Stem Cell Biology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Joseph J Hanly
- Department of Biological Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia
| | - Anna Ren
- Department of Biological Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia
| | - Arnaud Martin
- Department of Biological Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia
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