Ultrablack color in velvet ant cuticle
Vinicius Marques Lopez, Wencke Krings, Juliana Reis Machado, Stanislav Gorb, Rhainer Guillermo-Ferreira · 2024
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Description
Lopez and co-authors probe the ultrablack shell of a velvet ant, Traumatomutilla bifurca. Velvet ants are wasps with a striking look, and this species absorbs light to an extreme degree. The team wanted to learn what shell structure creates such deep black color.
They combined surface and internal microscopy with light measures of the cuticle. Scanning images showed fine surface form, while transmission images revealed inner layers. Confocal tests found no glow from the cuticle itself. The findings link the layered shell build to the near-total loss of reflected light seen in this insect.
Catalog record
| CREATOR | Vinicius Marques Lopez, Wencke Krings, Juliana Reis Machado, Stanislav Gorb, Rhainer Guillermo-Ferreira |
|---|---|
| YEAR | 2024 |
| COLLECTION | PAPERS |
| FORMAT | TXT |
| FILE SIZE | 28 KB |
| VERSION | 1.0 |
| LICENSE | CC BY 4.0 |
| RIGHTS | CC BY |
| SOURCE | Europe PMC |