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Finet C, Ruan Q, Bei YY, You En Chan J, Saranathan V, Yang JKW, Monteiro A. Multi-scale dissection of wing transparency in the clearwing butterfly Phanus vitreus. J R Soc Interface 2023; 20:20230135. [PMID: 37254701 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2023.0135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023] Open
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 mechanism of wing transparency in P. vitreus by light microscopy, focused ion beam milling, microspectrophotometry and optical modelling. We show that transparency is achieved via loss of pigments and vertical orientation in normal paddle-like scales. These alterations are combined with an anti-reflective nipple array on portions of the wing membrane being more exposed to light. The blueish coloration of the P. vitreus transparent regions is due to the properties of the wing membrane, and local scale nanostructures. We show that scale retention in the transparent patches might be explained by these perpendicular scales having hydrophobic properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cédric Finet
- Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 117543 Singapore
| | - Qifeng Ruan
- Engineering Product Development, Singapore University of Technology and Design, 487372 Singapore
- Ministry of Industry and Information Technology Key Lab of Micro-Nano Optoelectronic Information System & Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Semiconductor Optoelectronic Materials and Intelligent Photonic Systems, Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen 518055, People's Republic of China
| | - Yi Yang Bei
- Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 117543 Singapore
| | - John You En Chan
- Engineering Product Development, Singapore University of Technology and Design, 487372 Singapore
| | - Vinodkumar Saranathan
- Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 117543 Singapore
- Division of Science, Yale-NUS College, National University of Singapore, 138609 Singapore
- NUS Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Initiative (NUSNNI), National University of Singapore, 117581 Singapore
| | - Joel K W Yang
- Engineering Product Development, Singapore University of Technology and Design, 487372 Singapore
- Institute of Materials Research and Engineering, A*STAR (Agency for Science, Technology and Research), 138634 Singapore
| | - Antónia Monteiro
- Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 117543 Singapore
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2
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Stavenga DG, Leertouwer HL, Arikawa K. Butterfly Wing Translucence Enables Enhanced Visual Signaling. INSECTS 2023; 14:234. [PMID: 36975919 PMCID: PMC10057065 DOI: 10.3390/insects14030234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Revised: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The light reflected by the dorsal side of butterfly wings often functions as a signal for, e.g., mate choice, thermoregulation, and/or predator deterrence, while the ventral wing reflections are generally used for crypsis and camouflage. Here, we propose that transmitted light can also have an important role in visual signaling because, in many butterfly species, the dorsal and ventral wing sides are similarly patterned and locally more or less translucent. Extreme examples are the Japanese yellow swallowtail (Papilio xuthus Linnaeus, 1758) and the Yellow glassy tiger (Parantica aspasia Fabricius, 1787). Their wings exhibit a similar color pattern in reflected and transmitted light, which allows enhanced visual signaling, especially in flight. Contrasting cases in which the coloration and patterning of dorsal and ventral wings strongly differ are the papilionid Papilio nireus Linnaeus, 1758, and the pierid Delias nigrina Fabricius, 1775. The wings observed in reflected or transmitted light then show very different color patterns. Wing translucence thus will strongly affect a butterfly's visual signal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Doekele G. Stavenga
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Science, University of Groningen, NL9747AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Heinrich L. Leertouwer
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Science, University of Groningen, NL9747AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Kentaro Arikawa
- Research Center for Integrative Evolutionary Science, Sokendai-Hayama, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI, Hayama 240-0193, Japan
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3
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Chan WP, Rabideau Childers R, Ashe S, Tsai CC, Elson C, Keleher KJ, Sipe RLH, Maier CA, Sourakov A, Gall LF, Bernard GD, Soucy ER, Yu N, Pierce NE. A high-throughput multispectral imaging system for museum specimens. Commun Biol 2022; 5:1318. [PMID: 36456867 PMCID: PMC9715708 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-04282-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
We present an economical imaging system with integrated hardware and software to capture multispectral images of Lepidoptera with high efficiency. This method facilitates the comparison of colors and shapes among species at fine and broad taxonomic scales and may be adapted for other insect orders with greater three-dimensionality. Our system can image both the dorsal and ventral sides of pinned specimens. Together with our processing pipeline, the descriptive data can be used to systematically investigate multispectral colors and shapes based on full-wing reconstruction and a universally applicable ground plan that objectively quantifies wing patterns for species with different wing shapes (including tails) and venation systems. Basic morphological measurements, such as body length, thorax width, and antenna size are automatically generated. This system can increase exponentially the amount and quality of trait data extracted from museum specimens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei-Ping Chan
- grid.38142.3c000000041936754XDepartment of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA USA ,grid.38142.3c000000041936754XMuseum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA USA
| | - Richard Rabideau Childers
- grid.38142.3c000000041936754XDepartment of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA USA ,grid.38142.3c000000041936754XMuseum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA USA
| | - Sorcha Ashe
- grid.38142.3c000000041936754XDepartment of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA USA
| | - Cheng-Chia Tsai
- grid.21729.3f0000000419368729Department of Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics, Columbia University, New York, NY USA
| | - Caroline Elson
- grid.38142.3c000000041936754XDepartment of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA USA
| | - Kirsten J. Keleher
- grid.40803.3f0000 0001 2173 6074Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC USA ,grid.5386.8000000041936877XDepartment of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY USA
| | - Rachel L. Hawkins Sipe
- grid.38142.3c000000041936754XMuseum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA USA
| | - Crystal A. Maier
- grid.38142.3c000000041936754XMuseum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA USA
| | - Andrei Sourakov
- grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL USA
| | - Lawrence F. Gall
- grid.47100.320000000419368710Computer Systems Office & Division of Entomology, Peabody Museum of Natural History, Yale University, New Haven, CT USA
| | - Gary D. Bernard
- grid.34477.330000000122986657Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA USA
| | - Edward R. Soucy
- grid.38142.3c000000041936754XCenter for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA USA
| | - Nanfang Yu
- grid.21729.3f0000000419368729Department of Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics, Columbia University, New York, NY USA
| | - Naomi E. Pierce
- grid.38142.3c000000041936754XDepartment of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA USA ,grid.38142.3c000000041936754XMuseum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA USA
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4
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Pinna CS, Vilbert M, Borensztajn S, Daney de Marcillac W, Piron-Prunier F, Pomerantz A, Patel NH, Berthier S, Andraud C, Gomez D, Elias M. Mimicry can drive convergence in structural and light transmission features of transparent wings in Lepidoptera. eLife 2021; 10:e69080. [PMID: 34930525 PMCID: PMC8691843 DOI: 10.7554/elife.69080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Müllerian mimicry is a positive interspecific interaction, whereby co-occurring defended prey species share a common aposematic signal. In Lepidoptera, aposematic species typically harbour conspicuous opaque wing colour patterns with convergent optical properties among co-mimetic species. Surprisingly, some aposematic mimetic species have partially transparent wings, raising the questions of whether optical properties of transparent patches are also convergent, and of how transparency is achieved. Here, we conducted a comparative study of wing optics, micro and nanostructures in neotropical mimetic clearwing Lepidoptera, using spectrophotometry and microscopy imaging. We show that transparency, as perceived by predators, is convergent among co-mimics in some mimicry rings. Underlying micro- and nanostructures are also sometimes convergent despite a large structural diversity. We reveal that while transparency is primarily produced by microstructure modifications, nanostructures largely influence light transmission, potentially enabling additional fine-tuning in transmission properties. This study shows that transparency might not only enable camouflage but can also be part of aposematic signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charline Sophie Pinna
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), CNRS, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des AntillesParisFrance
| | - Maëlle Vilbert
- Centre de Recherche sur la Conservation (CRC), CNRS, MNHN, Ministère de la CultureParisFrance
| | - Stephan Borensztajn
- Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris (IPGP), Université de Paris, CNRSParisFrance
| | | | - Florence Piron-Prunier
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), CNRS, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des AntillesParisFrance
| | - Aaron Pomerantz
- Marine Biological LaboratoryWoods HoleUnited States
- Department Integrative Biology, University of California BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
| | | | - Serge Berthier
- Institut des NanoSciences de Paris (INSP), Sorbonne Université, CNRSParisFrance
| | - Christine Andraud
- Centre de Recherche sur la Conservation (CRC), CNRS, MNHN, Ministère de la CultureParisFrance
| | - Doris Gomez
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive (CEFE), CNRS, Univ MontpellierMontpellierFrance
| | - Marianne Elias
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), CNRS, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des AntillesParisFrance
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In vivo visualization of butterfly scale cell morphogenesis in Vanessa cardui. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2112009118. [PMID: 34845021 PMCID: PMC8670486 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2112009118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Many organisms exhibit functional micro- and nanoscale materials with structural definition and performance that challenge synthetic fabrication techniques, yet we know little about the processes that enable their formation. Using butterfly scales as a model system for functional biomaterials, we establish a timeline of scale formation and quantify relevant structural parameters for developing painted lady butterflies. We overcome challenges of previous efforts by imaging structure formation directly in living organisms, which allows us to continuously observe the evolving wing tissue and the fine details of individual scale cells. Visualization of scale structure formation in live butterflies forms the basis for modeling the underlying biomechanical processes and opens avenues for their translation into advanced fabrication strategies. During metamorphosis, the wings of a butterfly sprout hundreds of thousands of scales with intricate microstructures and nano-structures that determine the wings’ optical appearance, wetting characteristics, thermodynamic properties, and aerodynamic behavior. Although the functional characteristics of scales are well known and prove desirable in various applications, the dynamic processes and temporal coordination required to sculpt the scales’ many structural features remain poorly understood. Current knowledge of scale growth is primarily gained from ex vivo studies of fixed scale cells at discrete time points; to fully understand scale formation, it is critical to characterize the time-dependent morphological changes throughout their development. Here, we report the continuous, in vivo, label-free imaging of growing scale cells of Vanessa cardui using speckle-correlation reflection phase microscopy. By capturing time-resolved volumetric tissue data together with nanoscale surface height information, we establish a morphological timeline of wing scale formation and gain quantitative insights into the underlying processes involved in scale cell patterning and growth. We identify early differences in the patterning of cover and ground scales on the young wing and quantify geometrical parameters of growing scale features, which suggest that surface growth is critical to structure formation. Our quantitative, time-resolved in vivo imaging of butterfly scale development provides the foundation for decoding the processes and biomechanical principles involved in the formation of functional structures in biological materials.
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Snell‐Rood EC, Smirnoff D, Cantrell H, Chapman K, Kirscht E, Stretch E. Bioinspiration as a method of problem-based STEM education: A case study with a class structured around the COVID-19 crisis. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:16374-16386. [PMID: 34900221 PMCID: PMC8646331 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2020] [Revised: 07/21/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Bioinspiration is a promising lens for biology instruction as it allows the instructor to focus on current issues, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. From social distancing to oxygen stress, organisms have been tackling pandemic-related problems for millions of years. What can we learn from such diverse adaptations in our own applications? This review uses a seminar course on the COVID-19 crisis to illustrate bioinspiration as an approach to teaching biology content. At the start of the class, students mind-mapped the entire problem; this range of subproblems was used to structure the biology content throughout the entire class. Students came to individual classes with a brainstormed list of biological systems that could serve as inspiration for a particular problem (e.g., absorptive leaves in response to the problem of toilet paper shortages). After exploration of relevant biology content, discussion returned to the focal problem. Students dug deeper into the literature in a group project on mask design and biological systems relevant to filtration and transparency. This class structure was an engaging way for students to learn principles from ecology, evolution, behavior, and physiology. Challenges with this course design revolved around the interdisciplinary and creative nature of the structure; for instance, the knowledge of the participants was often stretched by engineering details. While the present class was focused on the COVID-19 crisis, a course structured through a bioinspired approach can be applied to other focal problems, or subject areas, giving instructors a powerful method to deliver interdisciplinary content in an integrated and inquiry-driven way.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilie C. Snell‐Rood
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and BehaviorUniversity of Minnesota‐Twin CitiesSaint PaulMinnesotaUSA
| | - Dimitri Smirnoff
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and BehaviorUniversity of Minnesota‐Twin CitiesSaint PaulMinnesotaUSA
- Department of Curriculum and InstructionSaint PaulMinnesotaUSA
| | - Hunter Cantrell
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and BehaviorUniversity of Minnesota‐Twin CitiesSaint PaulMinnesotaUSA
| | - Kaila Chapman
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and BehaviorUniversity of Minnesota‐Twin CitiesSaint PaulMinnesotaUSA
| | - Elizabeth Kirscht
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and BehaviorUniversity of Minnesota‐Twin CitiesSaint PaulMinnesotaUSA
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7
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Wolf S, Wan Y, McDole K. Current approaches to fate mapping and lineage tracing using image data. Development 2021; 148:dev198994. [PMID: 34498046 DOI: 10.1242/dev.198994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Visualizing, tracking and reconstructing cell lineages in developing embryos has been an ongoing effort for well over a century. Recent advances in light microscopy, labelling strategies and computational methods to analyse complex image datasets have enabled detailed investigations into the fates of cells. Combined with powerful new advances in genomics and single-cell transcriptomics, the field of developmental biology is able to describe the formation of the embryo like never before. In this Review, we discuss some of the different strategies and applications to lineage tracing in live-imaging data and outline software methodologies that can be applied to various cell-tracking challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steffen Wolf
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
| | - Yinan Wan
- Biozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, 4056, Switzerland
| | - Katie McDole
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
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Gomez D, Pinna C, Pairraire J, Arias M, Barbut J, Pomerantz A, Daney de Marcillac W, Berthier S, Patel N, Andraud C, Elias M. Wing transparency in butterflies and moths: structural diversity, optical properties, and ecological relevance. ECOL MONOGR 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecm.1475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Doris Gomez
- CEFE University of Montpellier CNRS, EPHE, IRD Montpellier France
| | - Charline Pinna
- ISYEB UMR 7205 CNRS, MNHN EPHE Sorbonne University Paris France
| | | | - Mónica Arias
- CEFE University of Montpellier CNRS, EPHE, IRD Montpellier France
- ISYEB UMR 7205 CNRS, MNHN EPHE Sorbonne University Paris France
| | - Jérôme Barbut
- ISYEB UMR 7205 CNRS, MNHN EPHE Sorbonne University Paris France
| | - Aaron Pomerantz
- Marine Biological Laboratory Woods Hole Massachusetts 02543 USA
- Department Integrative Biology University of California Berkeley Berkeley California 94720 USA
| | | | | | - Nipam Patel
- Marine Biological Laboratory Woods Hole Massachusetts 02543 USA
- University of Chicago Chicago Illinois 60607 USA
| | | | - Marianne Elias
- ISYEB UMR 7205 CNRS, MNHN EPHE Sorbonne University Paris France
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