Hyperspectral optical imaging of two different species of lepidoptera

• Published in: Nanoscale research letters Vol. 6; no. 1; p. 369
• Main Authors: Medina, José Manuel, Nascimento, Sérgio Miguel Cardoso, Vukusic, Pete
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer New York 04-05-2011; BioMed Central Ltd; Springer; SpringerOpen
• Subjects: Chemistry and Materials Science; Materials Science; Molecular Medicine; Nano Express; Nanochemistry; Nanoscale Science and Technology; Nanotechnology; Nanotechnology and Microengineering; Frame Grabber; Reflectance Spectrum; Structural Color; Reflectance Factor; Hyperspectral Imaging
• ISSN: 1556-276X; 1931-7573; 1556-276X
• DOI: 10.1186/1556-276X-6-369

In this article, we report a hyperspectral optical imaging application for measurement of the reflectance spectra of photonic structures that produce structural colors with high spatial resolution. The measurement of the spectral reflectance function is exemplified in the butterfly wings of two different species of Lepidoptera: the blue iridescence reflected by the nymphalid
Morpho didius
and the green iridescence of the papilionid
Papilio palinurus
. Color coordinates from reflectance spectra were calculated taking into account human spectral sensitivity. For each butterfly wing, the observed color is described by a characteristic color map in the chromaticity diagram and spreads over a limited volume in the color space. The results suggest that variability in the reflectance spectra is correlated with different random arrangements in the spatial distribution of the scales that cover the wing membranes. Hyperspectral optical imaging opens new ways for the non-invasive study and classification of different forms of irregularity in structural colors.