This finger-tip sized Cyphochilus beetle, found in south-east Asia, has a shell whiter than most materials found in nature.
Image: Pete Vukusic.
Researchers found that the Cyphochilus beetle, endemic to south-east Asia, was much brighter and whiter than either milk or the average human tooth.
"You do see the odd bit of whiteness here and there, mainly in butterflies, but the whiteness is really incomparable with this little beetle," observed lead scientist, Pete Vukusic of Exeter University.
Close inspection of the beetle reveals a unique surface structure covered with scales that are 10 times thinner than human hair. The researchers discovered that the scales on beetle's ghostly shell had highly random internal 3D structures. A report in Science magazine claims that mimicking these scales could provide a range of applications for industry.
This irregular structure, explained Vukusic, was the cause of the beetle's whiteness.
The researchers think the beetle evolved to be so white because the color provides camouflage in amongst the white fungi common to where it is found.
Cited story.
.
- Log in to post comments
I saw these on Daily Planet, the daily science news show on Canada's Discovery Channel. They're startling. But why do they say, "ten times thinner than" instead of "1/10 the thickness of"? It was the same phrasing on the TV show.
Maybe they think 'ten times' sounds more impressive than 'one tenth'.
WOW indeed.
He's almost an abstraction of a beetle. Nice catch.
Do me a favor and read my current posts [2] and tell me I'm wrong.