Pachliopta aristolochiae
Pachliopta aristolochiae | ||||||||||||
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![]() Pachliopta aristolochiae , female, underside |
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Systematics | ||||||||||||
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Scientific name | ||||||||||||
Pachliopta aristolochiae | ||||||||||||
( Fabricius , 1775) |
Pachliopta aristolochiae ( Syn. Atrophaneura aristolochiae ), sometimes also called common rose , is a butterfly ( butterfly ) from the family of the knight butterfly (Papilionidae)found in Asia.
description
butterfly
The wingspan of the moth is 65 to 85 millimeters. All wings have a black base color, the hind wings have tails. A bright, radial pattern stands out on the top of the forewings. There is a slight sexual dimorphism between the sexes . In the females there are some distinctive red and white spots on the upper side of the hind wing, which in the males are usually greatly reduced or completely absent. The undersides show all the features of the upper side in varying degrees of intensity. The head, the base of the wings and parts of the abdomen are mostly red in color.
Structure of the wings and application to solar technology
The black wings of Pachliopta aristolochiae are covered with micro- and nano-structured scales that almost completely absorb sunlight over a large spectral and angular range. It turned out that the scales are provided with tiny, irregular holes on the order of 300 nanometers. Since these findings are of particular interest for the application in photovoltaic technology, further detailed analyzes of the micro- and nanostructures were carried out. In addition to microspectroscopy experiments, three-dimensional optical simulations of the exact scale structure were carried out. Compared to smooth surfaces, semiconductors manufactured according to the principle of the butterfly's wings resulted in an increase in absorption capacity of 90% at a perpendicular angle of incidence and up to 200% for large angles of incidence. Further experiments with thin-film solar cells made of amorphous silicon are planned. If the results and increases in efficiency are confirmed on a large scale, an inexpensive alternative to the relatively expensive crystalline solar cells would be available.
Caterpillar
Adult caterpillars are colored black-brown and have many reddish tubercles on the entire body surface . A white ring behind the third body segment is noticeable.
Doll
The pupa is reddish-brown in color and shows a curved profile from which a few humps stand out. It hangs from a branch with a silk belt or is attached to the Kremaster with a silk pad.
distribution and habitat
The distribution area of Pachliopta aristolochiae extends from Java, Celebes and the Philippines via Vietnam, Laos and Thailand to India. The northern occurrence ranges from eastern China to Inner Mongolia . In the distribution areas 20 subspecies are named. The species lives in many different habitats, as long as the food plants of the caterpillars are available, and can also be found in urban gardens.
Way of life
The moths fly in climatically favorable regions in successive generations. They visit flowers to take in nectar, and they take up liquids and minerals in damp places on the earth. Females lay the yellowish colored eggs one by one on the leaves of the food plant. These are different types of pipe flowers ( Aristolochia ), on which the caterpillars then feed.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Radwanul H. Siddique, Yidenekachew J. Donie, Guillaume Gomard, Sisir Yalamanchili, Tsvetelina Merdzhanova, Uli Lemmer, Hendrik Hölscher: Bioinspired phase-separated disordered nanostructures for thin photovoltaic absorbers , Science Advances, October 19, 2017, Vol. 3 , No. 10, e1700232, doi : 10.1126 / sciadv.1700232 .
- ↑ Distribution area
Web links
- elektroniknet.de - Butterfly wing inspires photovoltaics
- Pachliopta-aristolochiae - Butterflies of India
- Butterflies of Singapore - Development Cycle