Abstract
UNTIL this year a scarabaeid beetle, Serica sericea, was commonly cited as the only insect in which the iridescent colours were due entirely to diffraction rather than to interference. It is now known, however, that the iridescence of many other scarabaeid beetles1 in both the tribes Sericini and Melolonthini is due to diffraction gratings, as is that of a few beetles of the family Carabidae1. In addition, the iridescent colour of the stridulatory file on the third abdominal segment of wasps of the family Mutillidae is now known to be produced entirely by diffraction2.
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References
Hinton, H. E., and Gibbs, D. F., J. Insect Physiol., 15 (in the press).
Hinton, H. E., Gibbs, D. F., and Silberglied, R., J. Insect Physiol., 15 (in the press).
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HINTON, H., GIBBS, D. Diffraction Gratings in Phalacrid Beetles. Nature 221, 953–954 (1969). https://doi.org/10.1038/221953a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/221953a0
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