Cyphochilus
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| Waterhouse , 1867 |
Cyphochilus is a genus of beetles foundin Southeast Asia . A genus of orchids also bears the same name. The beetles protect themselves against predators by imitating the white color of a fungus ( mimetic ).
Special features of staining
The animals are whiter than almost all other known dyes. The coloring is even more perfect than most artificially produced dyes. However, it is not produced by pigments , but rather arises from the fact that light is reflected from the irregularly shaped scales , which are five micrometers thick and are all over the body . The scales must scatter the light equally in all wavelength ranges in order to achieve this perfect white color. For the same result, artificially created surfaces would have to be at least a hundred times thicker. It is believed that the animals' white armor is used for camouflage, as they are often found on white mushrooms. Scientists are very interested in unlocking the secret of super white armor for humans, e.g. B. to develop ultra-white plastics.
Individual evidence
- ^ Vukusic, Pete, Benny Hallam and Joe Noyes (2007): "Brilliant Whiteness in Ultrathin Beetle Scales". Science 315 (5810): 348. doi : 10.1126 / science.1134666
Web links
- Unique beetle shell: whiter than white , science.orf.at
- Whiter than white ( memento from February 6, 2013 in the web archive archive.today ), Financial Times Deutschland