↓ Skip to main content

Polarizing properties and structure of the cuticle of scarab beetles from the Chrysina genus

Overview of attention for article published in Physical Review E: Statistical, Nonlinear, and Soft Matter Physics, July 2016
Altmetric Badge

Citations

dimensions_citation
19 Dimensions

Readers on

mendeley
17 Mendeley
You are seeing a free-to-access but limited selection of the activity Altmetric has collected about this research output. Click here to find out more.
Title
Polarizing properties and structure of the cuticle of scarab beetles from the Chrysina genus
Published in
Physical Review E: Statistical, Nonlinear, and Soft Matter Physics, July 2016
DOI 10.1103/physreve.94.012409
Pubmed ID
Authors

Lía Fernández del Río, Hans Arwin, Kenneth Järrendahl

Abstract

The optical properties of several scarab beetles have been previously studied but few attempts have been made to compare beetles in the same genus. To determine whether there is any relation between specimens of the same genus, we have studied and classified seven species from the Chrysina genus. The polarization properties were analyzed with Mueller-matrix spectroscopic ellipsometry and the structural characteristics with optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Most of the Chrysina beetles are green colored or have a metallic look (gold or silver). The results show that the green-colored beetles polarize reflected light mainly at off-specular angles. The gold-colored beetles polarize light left-handed near circular at specular reflection. The structure of the exoskeleton is a stack of layers that form a cusplike structure in the green beetles whereas the layers are parallel to the surface in the case of the gold-colored beetles. The beetle C. gloriosa is green with gold-colored stripes along the elytras and exhibits both types of effects. The results indicate that Chrysina beetles can be classified according to these two major polarization properties.

Mendeley readers

Mendeley readers

The data shown below were compiled from readership statistics for 17 Mendeley readers of this research output. Click here to see the associated Mendeley record.

Geographical breakdown

Country Count As %
United Kingdom 1 6%
Sweden 1 6%
Unknown 15 88%

Demographic breakdown

Readers by professional status Count As %
Student > Ph. D. Student 5 29%
Researcher 4 24%
Student > Bachelor 3 18%
Professor 1 6%
Unknown 4 24%
Readers by discipline Count As %
Physics and Astronomy 5 29%
Materials Science 3 18%
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology 2 12%
Engineering 2 12%
Chemistry 1 6%
Other 0 0%
Unknown 4 24%