Dazzling Disguise
Erica McAlister on how there's more than meets the eye in the distinctive structural colour of the morpho butterfly wing, whose dazzling sheen is a key for camouflage and commerce.
Dr Erica McAlister of London's Natural History Museum takes a look at some of the entomological pioneers, whose groundbreaking observations and experiments have led to some truly innovative developments.
Erica examines the huge butterfly collection of the intrepid Victorian lepidopterist Margaret Fountaine who was seduced by the iridescent nature of the morpho butterfly wing. Its dazzling electric blues are caused not by pigments, but by interference effects within the wing structure. In the early 20th century the “father of camouflage” Abbot Thayer controversially cited iridescence as a means of disguise within the animal world as well as attracting a mate. Scientists are revisiting the idea that the best disguises are dazzling and now engineers are attempting to recreate iridescence from the insect world to generate high impact hues with multiple effects for a host of different commercial products.
With contributions from: Dr David Waterhouse, (Senior Curator of Natural History & Geology at Norfolk Museums); biologist Dr Karin Kjernsmo,(Bristol University); Andrea Hart (Library Special Collections Manager Natural History Museum); physiologist Prof Andrew Parker, (University of Oxford)
Producer Adrian Washbourne
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Broadcasts
- Mon 23 May 2022 13:45BBC Radio 4
- Wed 26 Apr 2023 20:45BBC Radio 4
- Tue 2 May 2023 09:30BBC Radio 4