The fine structure of odonata chromatophores

Veron, John; O'farrell, AF; Dixon, Bradley S.

doi:10.1016/0040-8166(74)90004-4

Cited by 30 publications

(46 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…Despite the lack of critical support, Mason (1926) concluded that the blue colour was produced by Tyndall scattering by "fine particles enclosed in a chitinous protein". The Tyndall scattering hypothesis has been cited without question, without exception and without testing for the past seven decades (Vernon et al, 1974;Fox, 1976;Charles and Robinson, 1981;Sternberg, 1996;Corbet, 1999;Parker, 1999;Srinivasarao, 1999).…”

Section: Odonate Structural Colourmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The integumentary nanostructures that produce these structural colours were first described by Vernon et al (1974) in a phylogenetically broad sample of blue Australian odonates including aeshnids, amphipterygids and coenagrionids. Vernon et al (1974) documented that the structural colours are produced by light scattering from spherical objects that are closely but irregularly packed within integumentary pigment cells immediately below the cuticle.…”

Section: Odonate Structural Colourmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Vernon et al (1974) documented that the structural colours are produced by light scattering from spherical objects that are closely but irregularly packed within integumentary pigment cells immediately below the cuticle. Apparently, the spatial distribution of the light-scattering spheres met with the general expectations for an incoherently scattering array, because the description of the anatomy of the structurally coloured cells did not lead to a reevaluation of the Tyndall scattering hypothesis.…”

Section: Odonate Structural Colourmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Most insect structural colours are produced by periodic nanostructures in the cuticle (Parker, 1999) or the scales of the wings (Ghiradella, 1991). Exceptionally, the blue integumentary structural colours of dragonflies and damselflies (Odonata) are produced by spherical nanostructures within living epidermal cells that lie below the cuticle (Vernon et al, 1974;Charles and Robinson, 1981).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For nearly 80·years, since Mason (1926), the non-iridescent structural blue colours of dragonflies and damselflies (Odonata) have been universally hypothesized to be produced by incoherent Tyndall or Rayleigh scattering (Vernon et al, 1974;Fox, 1976;Charles and Robinson, 1981;Sternberg, 1996;Corbet, 1999;Parker, 1999;Srinivasarao, 1999). Here, we report an investigation of the anatomy and physics of structural colour production in two distantly related odonates, in which we test whether these colours are produced by incoherent or coherent scattering.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Blue integumentary structural colours in dragonflies (Odonata) are not produced by incoherent Tyndall scattering

Prum

Cole

Torres

2004

Journal of Experimental Biology

102

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SUMMARY For nearly 80 years, the non-iridescent, blue, integumentary structural colours of dragonflies and damselflies (Odonata) have been attributed to incoherent Tyndall or Rayleigh scattering. We investigated the production of the integumentary structural colours of a damselfly – the familiar bluet, Enallagma civile (Coenagrionidae) – and a dragonfly– the common green darner, Anax junius (Aeshnidae) –using fibre optic spectrophotometry and transmission electron microscopy(TEM). The reflectance spectra of both species showed discrete reflectance peaks of ∼30% reflectance at 475 and 460 nm, respectively. These structural colours are produced by light scattering from closely packed arrays of spheres in the endoplasmic reticulum of box-shaped epidermal pigment cells underlying the cuticle. The observed reflectance spectra do not conform to the inverse fourth power relationship predicted for Tyndall/Rayleigh scattering. Two-dimensional (2-D) Fourier analysis of the TEM images of the colour-producing arrays reveals ring-shaped distributions of Fourier power at intermediate spatial frequencies, documenting a quasiordered nanostructure. The nanostructured Fourier power spectra falsify the assumption of spatial independence of scatterers that is required for incoherent scattering. Radial averages of the Fourier power spectrum indicate that the spheres are substantially nanostructured at the appropriate spatial scale to produce visible colours by coherent scattering. However, the spatial periodicity of the arrays is apparently too large to produce the observed colour by coherent scattering. The nanospheres could have expanded substantially (∼50%)during preparation for TEM. Alternatively, coherent light scattering could be occurring both from the surfaces and from structures at the centre of the spheres. These arrays of colour-producing spheres within pigment cells have convergently evolved at least 11–14 times independently within the Odonata. Structural colouration from arrays in living cells has also fostered the convergent evolution of temperature-dependent colour change in numerous odonate lineages.

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Section: Odonate Structural Colourmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Odonate Structural Colourmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Odonate Structural Colourmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Blue integumentary structural colours in dragonflies (Odonata) are not produced by incoherent Tyndall scattering

Prum

Cole

Torres

2004

Journal of Experimental Biology

102

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Cilia in the head of hornets: Form and function

Ishay

Plotkin

Ermakov

et al. 2005

Microsc. Res. Tech.

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In the head of the Oriental hornet, beneath the cuticle, there are plaques of hair cells. These are distributed throughout the upper front part of the head; to wit: in the region of the vertex (i.e., around and behind the ocelli), in the genae around and behind the compound eyes (the ommatidia), and in the region of the forehead or frons. These hair cells are arranged with their thin whip-like part (i.e., cilia) directed outward and morphologically fall into three distinct groups: type (a) thin elongated cilia connected to each other alongside by side-links; type (b) thin elongated cilia of which two or more interconnect at their distal ends via a delicate nerve fiber bearing a knob at its center; and type (c) shorter and thicker cilia that roughly resemble a triangular thorn and are also interconnected by a thin thread, which, however, bears a ball rather then a knob at its center. The knob in the one case and the ball in the other vary in their diameter, but in both instances the interconnecting elements, be they nerve fibers or threads, are seemingly multidirectional. Beneath the frons, in the region of the coronal suture, the hair cells (cilial plaques) are inwardly directed and bear a large trachea at their center. Presumably, the "weighted" cilial cells that are directed toward the exterior of the body aid the hornet in navigation and gravity determination whereas the inwardly directed ciliary cells may possibly serve in acoustic communication. Another element worthy of mention within the hair cells are yellow granules (yg). These yg's originate from the whip-like portion of the ciliary cells that are distributed beneath the frons plate, and also in the yellow stripes of the gastral cuticle. Conceivably, these yellow granules, in both cases, may play a role in the absorption and storage of solar energy. In summary, ciliary structures are involved in the hornet in gravity sensing, in acoustical communication and in light sensing, i.e., with some similarity with what happens in vertebrates in the inner ear and in the photoreceptor.

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Pigments in Insects

Futahashi

Osanai-Futahashi

2021

Pigments, Pigment Cells and Pigment Patterns

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The fine structure of odonata chromatophores

Cited by 30 publications

References 15 publications

Blue integumentary structural colours in dragonflies (Odonata) are not produced by incoherent Tyndall scattering

Blue integumentary structural colours in dragonflies (Odonata) are not produced by incoherent Tyndall scattering

Cilia in the head of hornets: Form and function

Pigments in Insects

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