365Caws is now in its 14th year of publication, and was originally intended to end after 365 days. It has sometimes been difficult for me to find new material, particularly during the winter months, but now as I enter my own twilight years, I cannot guarantee that I will be able to provide daily posts. It is my hope that along the way I may have inspired someone to a greater curiosity about the natural world. If so, I can rest, content in the knowledge that my work here has been done.
Friday, January 15, 2016
Swallowtail Scales
Day 94: As I mentioned a few days ago, finding material for posts during the gloomy months of winter is no easy task, especially when I'd like to present a glimpse into the marvelous world of Nature. However, today it occurred to me to pull out my stereoscope for a closer look at a butterfly wing. Where did I get my subject matter? I have a small collection preserved in a Riker mount, traffic fatalities otherwise undamaged by impact.
It might surprise you to know that butterflies are both hairy and scaly. Both types of structure afford protection from predators. The hairs are a tactile deterrent (imagine a bird with a speech balloon above its head reading, "Ew! Furry!") whereas the scales shed readily if the butterfly runs afoul of a spiderweb. You might think of butterflies as being brightly coloured, but in fact, their striking hues are not due to pigments but to refraction of light within the microstructure of the scales. The feathers of Steller's Jays and many other bird species give the impression of being coloured, but in fact, most birds are brown despite how they appear to human eyes. The same principles apply to the wings of a butterfly. Mother Nature will have her little jokes on us, fooling us into believing we're seeing reds and blues where none exist. It's enough to make you wonder if anything is as we perceive it.
Footnote: I had this photo ready to go, but just happened to notice a feature in the new PaintShopPro called "text cutter." I couldn't resist experimenting. The letters were cut from the butterfly wing in the photo with just a few clicks!
Labels:
microscopy,
Papilio rutulus,
PSP,
scales,
scutes,
text cutter,
Western Tiger Swallowtail
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