Two butterfly wings

Charles Krebs · Post by **Charles Krebs** » Thu May 26, 2005 5:43 pm

Two butterfly wings photographed with a 10X objective. This is a subject that I always find fascinating.

These are illuminated from underneath ("backlit") by the microscope condenser.

piotr · Post by **piotr** » Thu May 26, 2005 6:20 pm

Beautiful, very elegant patterns. Interesting, there seems to be a variance in size of the scales between different species.

lacerta · Post by **lacerta** » Thu May 26, 2005 10:05 pm

I would have guessed that the top image was also illuminated on the dorsal surface. Again, another super image.
George

Wim van Egmond · Post by **Wim van Egmond** » Fri May 27, 2005 1:27 am

Good to see you are back and making great images again, Charlie!

Did you already try the butterfly scales in darkfield? This way you get a kind of irridescent colours. The patterns in the scales give these colours. It also works with cleaned diatoms with the 10X obj.

Did you remove the scales from the wing?

Wim

Charles Krebs · Post by **Charles Krebs** » Fri May 27, 2005 9:53 am

Did you remove the scales from the wing?

Well yes I did... but not on purpose

I have a bunch of old papered specimens that are extremely brittle. If I were more patient I would "re-hydrate" them before trying to work with the wings, but I don't. So I wind up with a selection of loose scales when I prepare a slide.

Lighting this subject in different ways always gives interesting "renditions". I particularly like the way the backlighting in the lower image shows how there are actually two different types of scales "interleaved" on this particular wing.

Like many, I'm attracted to strong patterns in nature. With this subject, I am equally in awe at how, in such a "lowly" creature, the various colored scales appear in the just the right places to form the intricate color designs found on butterflies and moths. And the mechanical/structural "engineer" in me is amazed at the materials and construction.