DOI: 10.1063/1.1714827. An Electron Microscope Study of Some Structural Colors of Insects [Penn]

An Electron Microscope Study of Some Structural Colors of Insects

10.1063/1.1714827

Crossref journal-article

AIP Publishing

Journal of Applied Physics (317)

Abstract

The electron microscope has been used to study two types of structures responsible for the physical colors of insects. The iridescence of the beetle Serica sericea is due to a line grating on its wing-covers, 0.8μ between lines. The structure giving rise to the brilliant blue color of the tropical butterfly Morpho cypris is quite elaborate, consisting essentially of hundreds of vanes on each wing scale, the vanes possessing linear thickenings 0.2μ apart which reinforce the reflection of blue light. Numerous exceedingly fine markings on parts of the wing scales go down in dimensions to 60A, and some of them may be related to the chemical structure of the scales. Chemical tests show that the scales are not composed of chitin, the principal component of the external parts of most insects. It is interesting that bombardment of the scales with an intense electron beam (1000 electrons per square angstrom per second) for a matter of minutes does not appreciably affect the swelling properties of the scales in organic liquids.

Bibliography

Anderson, T. F., & Richards, A. G. (1942). An Electron Microscope Study of Some Structural Colors of Insects. Journal of Applied Physics, 13(12), 748â758.

Authors 2

Thomas F. Anderson (first)
A. Glenn Richards (additional)

References 31 Referenced 159

10.1016/S0021-9258(19)51389-8 / J. Biol. Chem. (1941)
{'key': '2024020123371155900_r1a'}
10.1084/jem.75.6.651 / J. Exper. Med. (1942)
10.1128/jb.42.2.251-264.1941 / J. Bacteriol. (1941)
10.3181/00379727-46-11963 / Proc. Soc. Exper. Biol. and Med. (1941)
10.1016/S0021-9258(19)51390-4 / J. Biol. Chem. (1941)
10.4049/jimmunol.42.3.251 / J. Immunol. (1941)
10.1073/pnas.28.4.127 / Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. (1942)
{'key': '2024020123371155900_r5', 'first-page': '1234', 'volume': '64', 'year': '1942', 'journal-title': 'J. Am. Chem. Soc.'} / J. Am. Chem. Soc. (1942)
10.1002/jmor.1050710107 / J. Morphol. (1942)
{'key': '2024020123371155900_r6a'}
10.1063/1.1712962 / J. App. Phys. (1941)
{'key': '2024020123371155900_r8'}
{'key': '2024020123371155900_r8a'}
10.1007/BF00403572 / Zeits. f. Morphol. u. Ökol. d. Tiere (1924)
{'key': '2024020123371155900_r9a'}
10.1021/j150228a001 / J. Phys. Chem. (1923)
10.1021/j150261a009 / J. Phys. Chem. (1926)
10.1021/j150273a001 / J. Phys. Chem. (1927)
{'key': '2024020123371155900_r10c', 'first-page': '52', 'volume': '40', 'year': '1929', 'journal-title': 'Entomol. News'} / Entomol. News (1929)
10.1109/EE.1941.6432075 / Elec. Eng. (1941)
{'key': '2024020123371155900_r12'}
10.1063/1.1712860 / J. App. Phys. (1941)
{'key': '2024020123371155900_r14'}
10.3181/00379727-22-120 / Proc. Soc. Exper. Biol. and Med. (1925)
{'key': '2024020123371155900_r16'}
{'key': '2024020123371155900_r17'}
{'key': '2024020123371155900_r18'}
{'key': '2024020123371155900_r19', 'first-page': '1', 'volume': 'B129', 'year': '1940', 'journal-title': 'Proc. Roy. Soc.'} / Proc. Roy. Soc. (1940)
10.1042/bj0351088 / Biochem. J. (1941)
{'key': '2024020123371155900_r21'}

Dates

Type	When
Created	20 years, 7 months ago (Jan. 15, 2005, 12:29 p.m.)
Deposited	1 year, 6 months ago (Feb. 1, 2024, 7:17 p.m.)
Indexed	3 weeks, 2 days ago (Aug. 2, 2025, 12:13 a.m.)
Issued	82 years, 8 months ago (Dec. 1, 1942)
Published	82 years, 8 months ago (Dec. 1, 1942)
Published Print	82 years, 8 months ago (Dec. 1, 1942)

Funders 0

None

BibTeX

@article{Anderson_1942, title={An Electron Microscope Study of Some Structural Colors of Insects}, volume={13}, ISSN={1089-7550}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.1714827}, DOI={10.1063/1.1714827}, number={12}, journal={Journal of Applied Physics}, publisher={AIP Publishing}, author={Anderson, Thomas F. and Richards, A. Glenn}, year={1942}, month=dec, pages={748–758} }

JSON

{
  "indexed": {
    "date-parts": [
      [
        2025,
        8,
        2
      ]
    ],
    "date-time": "2025-08-02T04:13:38Z",
    "timestamp": 1754108018105
  },
  "reference-count": 31,
  "publisher": "AIP Publishing",
  "issue": "12",
  "content-domain": {
    "domain": [
      "pubs.aip.org"
    ],
    "crossmark-restriction": true
  },
  "published-print": {
    "date-parts": [
      [
        1942,
        12,
        1
      ]
    ]
  },
  "abstract": "<jats:p>The electron microscope has been used to study two types of structures responsible for the physical colors of insects. The iridescence of the beetle Serica sericea is due to a line grating on its wing-covers, 0.8\u03bc between lines. The structure giving rise to the brilliant blue color of the tropical butterfly Morpho cypris is quite elaborate, consisting essentially of hundreds of vanes on each wing scale, the vanes possessing linear thickenings 0.2\u03bc apart which reinforce the reflection of blue light. Numerous exceedingly fine markings on parts of the wing scales go down in dimensions to 60A, and some of them may be related to the chemical structure of the scales. Chemical tests show that the scales are not composed of chitin, the principal component of the external parts of most insects. It is interesting that bombardment of the scales with an intense electron beam (1000 electrons per square angstrom per second) for a matter of minutes does not appreciably affect the swelling properties of the scales in organic liquids.</jats:p>",
  "DOI": "10.1063/1.1714827",
  "type": "journal-article",
  "created": {
    "date-parts": [
      [
        2005,
        1,
        15
      ]
    ],
    "date-time": "2005-01-15T17:29:10Z",
    "timestamp": 1105810150000
  },
  "page": "748-758",
  "update-policy": "http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/aip-crossmark-policy-page",
  "source": "Crossref",
  "is-referenced-by-count": 159,
  "title": "An Electron Microscope Study of Some Structural Colors of Insects",
  "prefix": "10.1063",
  "volume": "13",
  "author": [
    {
      "given": "Thomas F.",
      "family": "Anderson",
      "sequence": "first",
      "affiliation": [
        {
          "name": "Research Laboratories, RCA Manufacturing Company, Inc., Camden, New Jersey"
        },
        {
          "name": "Zoological Laboratory, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "suffix": "Jr.",
      "given": "A. Glenn",
      "family": "Richards",
      "sequence": "additional",
      "affiliation": [
        {
          "name": "Research Laboratories, RCA Manufacturing Company, Inc., Camden, New Jersey"
        },
        {
          "name": "Zoological Laboratory, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "member": "317",
  "reference": [
    {
      "key": "2024020123371155900_r1",
      "doi-asserted-by": "crossref",
      "first-page": "325",
      "DOI": "10.1016/S0021-9258(19)51389-8",
      "volume": "139",
      "year": "1941",
      "journal-title": "J. Biol. Chem."
    },
    {
      "key": "2024020123371155900_r1a"
    },
    {
      "key": "2024020123371155900_r1b",
      "doi-asserted-by": "crossref",
      "first-page": "651",
      "DOI": "10.1084/jem.75.6.651",
      "volume": "75",
      "year": "1942",
      "journal-title": "J. Exper. Med."
    },
    {
      "key": "2024020123371155900_r2",
      "doi-asserted-by": "crossref",
      "first-page": "251",
      "DOI": "10.1128/jb.42.2.251-264.1941",
      "volume": "42",
      "year": "1941",
      "journal-title": "J. Bacteriol."
    },
    {
      "key": "2024020123371155900_r2a",
      "doi-asserted-by": "crossref",
      "first-page": "272",
      "DOI": "10.3181/00379727-46-11963",
      "volume": "46",
      "year": "1941",
      "journal-title": "Proc. Soc. Exper. Biol. and Med."
    },
    {
      "key": "2024020123371155900_r3",
      "doi-asserted-by": "crossref",
      "first-page": "339",
      "DOI": "10.1016/S0021-9258(19)51390-4",
      "volume": "139",
      "year": "1941",
      "journal-title": "J. Biol. Chem."
    },
    {
      "key": "2024020123371155900_r3a",
      "doi-asserted-by": "crossref",
      "first-page": "251",
      "DOI": "10.4049/jimmunol.42.3.251",
      "volume": "42",
      "year": "1941",
      "journal-title": "J. Immunol."
    },
    {
      "key": "2024020123371155900_r4",
      "doi-asserted-by": "crossref",
      "first-page": "127",
      "DOI": "10.1073/pnas.28.4.127",
      "volume": "28",
      "year": "1942",
      "journal-title": "Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci."
    },
    {
      "key": "2024020123371155900_r5",
      "first-page": "1234",
      "volume": "64",
      "year": "1942",
      "journal-title": "J. Am. Chem. Soc."
    },
    {
      "key": "2024020123371155900_r6",
      "doi-asserted-by": "crossref",
      "first-page": "135",
      "DOI": "10.1002/jmor.1050710107",
      "volume": "71",
      "year": "1942",
      "journal-title": "J. Morphol."
    },
    {
      "key": "2024020123371155900_r6a"
    },
    {
      "key": "2024020123371155900_r7",
      "doi-asserted-by": "crossref",
      "first-page": "692",
      "DOI": "10.1063/1.1712962",
      "volume": "12",
      "year": "1941",
      "journal-title": "J. App. Phys."
    },
    {
      "key": "2024020123371155900_r8"
    },
    {
      "key": "2024020123371155900_r8a"
    },
    {
      "key": "2024020123371155900_r9",
      "doi-asserted-by": "crossref",
      "first-page": "171",
      "DOI": "10.1007/BF00403572",
      "volume": "1",
      "year": "1924",
      "journal-title": "Zeits. f. Morphol. u. \u00d6kol. d. Tiere"
    },
    {
      "key": "2024020123371155900_r9a"
    },
    {
      "key": "2024020123371155900_r10",
      "doi-asserted-by": "crossref",
      "first-page": "201",
      "DOI": "10.1021/j150228a001",
      "volume": "27",
      "year": "1923",
      "journal-title": "J. Phys. Chem."
    },
    {
      "key": "2024020123371155900_r10a",
      "doi-asserted-by": "crossref",
      "first-page": "383",
      "DOI": "10.1021/j150261a009",
      "volume": "30",
      "year": "1926",
      "journal-title": "J. Phys. Chem."
    },
    {
      "key": "2024020123371155900_r10b",
      "doi-asserted-by": "crossref",
      "first-page": "321",
      "DOI": "10.1021/j150273a001",
      "volume": "31",
      "year": "1927",
      "journal-title": "J. Phys. Chem."
    },
    {
      "key": "2024020123371155900_r10c",
      "first-page": "52",
      "volume": "40",
      "year": "1929",
      "journal-title": "Entomol. News"
    },
    {
      "key": "2024020123371155900_r11",
      "doi-asserted-by": "crossref",
      "first-page": "157",
      "DOI": "10.1109/EE.1941.6432075",
      "volume": "60",
      "year": "1941",
      "journal-title": "Elec. Eng."
    },
    {
      "key": "2024020123371155900_r12"
    },
    {
      "key": "2024020123371155900_r13",
      "doi-asserted-by": "crossref",
      "first-page": "738",
      "DOI": "10.1063/1.1712860",
      "volume": "12",
      "year": "1941",
      "journal-title": "J. App. Phys."
    },
    {
      "key": "2024020123371155900_r14"
    },
    {
      "key": "2024020123371155900_r15",
      "doi-asserted-by": "crossref",
      "first-page": "256",
      "DOI": "10.3181/00379727-22-120",
      "volume": "22",
      "year": "1925",
      "journal-title": "Proc. Soc. Exper. Biol. and Med."
    },
    {
      "key": "2024020123371155900_r16"
    },
    {
      "key": "2024020123371155900_r17"
    },
    {
      "key": "2024020123371155900_r18"
    },
    {
      "key": "2024020123371155900_r19",
      "first-page": "1",
      "volume": "B129",
      "year": "1940",
      "journal-title": "Proc. Roy. Soc."
    },
    {
      "key": "2024020123371155900_r20",
      "doi-asserted-by": "crossref",
      "first-page": "1088",
      "DOI": "10.1042/bj0351088",
      "volume": "35",
      "year": "1941",
      "journal-title": "Biochem. J."
    },
    {
      "key": "2024020123371155900_r21"
    }
  ],
  "container-title": "Journal of Applied Physics",
  "original-title": [],
  "language": "en",
  "link": [
    {
      "URL": "https://pubs.aip.org/aip/jap/article-pdf/13/12/748/18305554/748_1_online.pdf",
      "content-type": "application/pdf",
      "content-version": "vor",
      "intended-application": "syndication"
    },
    {
      "URL": "https://pubs.aip.org/aip/jap/article-pdf/13/12/748/18305554/748_1_online.pdf",
      "content-type": "unspecified",
      "content-version": "vor",
      "intended-application": "similarity-checking"
    }
  ],
  "deposited": {
    "date-parts": [
      [
        2024,
        2,
        2
      ]
    ],
    "date-time": "2024-02-02T00:17:51Z",
    "timestamp": 1706833071000
  },
  "score": 1,
  "resource": {
    "primary": {
      "URL": "https://pubs.aip.org/jap/article/13/12/748/509457/An-Electron-Microscope-Study-of-Some-Structural"
    }
  },
  "subtitle": [],
  "short-title": [],
  "issued": {
    "date-parts": [
      [
        1942,
        12,
        1
      ]
    ]
  },
  "references-count": 31,
  "journal-issue": {
    "issue": "12",
    "published-print": {
      "date-parts": [
        [
          1942,
          12,
          1
        ]
      ]
    }
  },
  "URL": "http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.1714827",
  "relation": {},
  "ISSN": [
    "0021-8979",
    "1089-7550"
  ],
  "subject": [],
  "published-other": {
    "date-parts": [
      [
        1942,
        12
      ]
    ]
  },
  "published": {
    "date-parts": [
      [
        1942,
        12,
        1
      ]
    ]
  }
}