Opal analogue discovered in a weevil

Andrew R. Parker (), Victoria L. Welch, Dominique Driver and Natalia Martini
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Andrew R. Parker: University of Oxford
Victoria L. Welch: University of Oxford
Dominique Driver: University of Oxford
Natalia Martini: University of Oxford

Nature, 2003, vol. 426, issue 6968, 786-787

Abstract: Abstract Beetles in dimly lit tropical forests often display structural colours1, but in direct sunlight only part of the insect can be seen from any direction — it appears as a spot of light because multilayer reflectors on its rounded surface act like mirrors2,3. Here we describe a beetle, Pachyrhynchus argus, found in forests in northeastern Queensland, Australia, that has a metallic coloration that is visible from any direction owing to a photonic crystal structure analogous to that of opal4. To our knowledge, this is the first recorded example of an opal-type structure in an animal.

Date: 2003
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DOI: 10.1038/426786a

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