Excellent -- thanks for the ID, Eric, and I fixed the link.
--Rik
Remarkable Fly Face -4th image added-25vi09
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rjlittlefield
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Harold Gough
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rjlittlefield
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One of the local university profs pointed out yesterday that a good discussion is currently viewable through Google Books. That's in "The Insects" by Reginald Frederick Chapman (4th edition, 1998), starting on page 657. A direct link to the discussion about color is http://books.google.com/books?id=vOkIvV0MrvYC&pg=PA657.rjlittlefield wrote:Seems likely, but that covers quite a wide range of effects.NikonUser wrote:Rik: That reminds me, interference effect as in Morpho wing scales ?
Chapman specifically illustrates the structures of a Morpho wing scale (iridescent blue) and a Euploea pupa (metallic golden). In the Morpho, the iridescent color is produced by 8-12 horizontal outcroppings ("mullions") on the vertical vanes of scales. In the Euploea pupa, the mirrorlike reflectivity is produced by over 150 layers of alternating low and high refractive index within the cuticle.
At the moment, it's unclear what the structure of these fly faces is, and even whether the relevant aspects would be easily visible to an SEM. The Morpho's structure is external and at least parts of it would be visible straightaway; the Euploea's structure is internal and would require sectioning and perhaps other treatments. From the silvery appearance (very high reflectivity for all colors), I would expect the flies are using some many-layered internal structure like the Euploea pupa. But perhaps that is combined with some coarser surface geometry like louvers to provide the directionality.
--Rik
Thanks Rik, I'll check it out when I am more awake - just finished a marathon session going over tha Galley Proofs of my Deer Fly paper. Amazing how many errors one can find after several months of not seeing the MS.
I have Chapman, but the 1st edition (1969) - standard Entomological text back then,
I have Chapman, but the 1st edition (1969) - standard Entomological text back then,
NU.
student of entomology
Quote – Holmes on ‘Entomology’
” I suppose you are an entomologist ? “
” Not quite so ambitious as that, sir. I should like to put my eyes on the individual entitled to that name.
No man can be truly called an entomologist,
sir; the subject is too vast for any single human intelligence to grasp.”
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr
The Poet at the Breakfast Table.
Nikon camera, lenses and objectives
Olympus microscope and objectives
student of entomology
Quote – Holmes on ‘Entomology’
” I suppose you are an entomologist ? “
” Not quite so ambitious as that, sir. I should like to put my eyes on the individual entitled to that name.
No man can be truly called an entomologist,
sir; the subject is too vast for any single human intelligence to grasp.”
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr
The Poet at the Breakfast Table.
Nikon camera, lenses and objectives
Olympus microscope and objectives
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rjlittlefield
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Yes, the fellow who recommended it said that "early editions of this text were pretty much standard for all insect morphology & physiology courses back in the 70's, but it's been updated considerably".NikonUser wrote:I have Chapman, but the 1st edition (1969) - standard Entomological text back then,
For a book that old, "updated considerably" might mean quite a lot --- considering that the first commercial SEM was produced in 1965. That was only 4 years before the first edition of Chapman's book came out, and just about the time I was entering high school.
The older I get, the more fascinated I become about how much things have changed within my own lifetime. And I'm still a kid, of course!
--Rik
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Harold Gough
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With internal, technical reports (for submission to government agencies), with urgent deadlines, even repeated checks by more than one individual never caught them all. The trick was to issue the final report. Errors then became as visible on the page as the beam of a lighthouse on a dark night!NikonUser wrote:Amazing how many errors one can find after several months of not seeing the MS.
Harold
My images are a medium for sharing some of my experiences: they are not me.
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Harold Gough
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In my late teens (pre-SLR days) I spend so much of my time in local wild bits of land, catching insects. Now there are many products of technology to fill our time. But my old haunts have now been built over or become otherwise inaccessible so it is substitution rather than a lifestyle choice. There has been some reversal since moving to this house which has a large, diverse, mature garden adjacent to farmland and water.rjlittlefield wrote:The older I get, the more fascinated I become about how much things have changed within my own lifetime.
In my early years of driving, I spent a lot of time repairing the old cars I was obliged to run. Now, with computers and electronics, if something fails in one it is a complete mystery as to how to deal with it and we have to call in professionals. By coincidence, yeserday I came across an exception. Having spent the afternoon at a very pleasant pub, I turned the igniton key in my car and the engine failed to fire. One look under the bonnet of the 24-year-old gave an instant diagnosis, the distributor cap having shattered. Immobilised, I resigned myself to spending another hour or so at the pub
until help arrived but at least I knew what needed to be done.Harold
My images are a medium for sharing some of my experiences: they are not me.
Thanks Doug.
Adding another photo to complete the set.
Notice how the white patches on the abdomen have changed colour, cf. dorsal shot.
Adding another photo to complete the set.
Notice how the white patches on the abdomen have changed colour, cf. dorsal shot.
NU.
student of entomology
Quote – Holmes on ‘Entomology’
” I suppose you are an entomologist ? “
” Not quite so ambitious as that, sir. I should like to put my eyes on the individual entitled to that name.
No man can be truly called an entomologist,
sir; the subject is too vast for any single human intelligence to grasp.”
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr
The Poet at the Breakfast Table.
Nikon camera, lenses and objectives
Olympus microscope and objectives
student of entomology
Quote – Holmes on ‘Entomology’
” I suppose you are an entomologist ? “
” Not quite so ambitious as that, sir. I should like to put my eyes on the individual entitled to that name.
No man can be truly called an entomologist,
sir; the subject is too vast for any single human intelligence to grasp.”
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr
The Poet at the Breakfast Table.
Nikon camera, lenses and objectives
Olympus microscope and objectives
Wow, I bow down!! Terrific shots!!
Congrats, Klaus
Congrats, Klaus
Klaus
http://www.macrolenses.de for macro and special lens info
http://www.pbase.com/kds315/uv_photos for UV Images and lens/filter info
http://photographyoftheinvisibleworld.blogspot.com/ my UV diary
http://www.macrolenses.de for macro and special lens info
http://www.pbase.com/kds315/uv_photos for UV Images and lens/filter info
http://photographyoftheinvisibleworld.blogspot.com/ my UV diary
Thanks Eric & Klaus, I appreciate your comments.
Those long setae on the abdomen are what mislead me into thinking this was a Tachinid.
Those long setae on the abdomen are what mislead me into thinking this was a Tachinid.
NU.
student of entomology
Quote – Holmes on ‘Entomology’
” I suppose you are an entomologist ? “
” Not quite so ambitious as that, sir. I should like to put my eyes on the individual entitled to that name.
No man can be truly called an entomologist,
sir; the subject is too vast for any single human intelligence to grasp.”
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr
The Poet at the Breakfast Table.
Nikon camera, lenses and objectives
Olympus microscope and objectives
student of entomology
Quote – Holmes on ‘Entomology’
” I suppose you are an entomologist ? “
” Not quite so ambitious as that, sir. I should like to put my eyes on the individual entitled to that name.
No man can be truly called an entomologist,
sir; the subject is too vast for any single human intelligence to grasp.”
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr
The Poet at the Breakfast Table.
Nikon camera, lenses and objectives
Olympus microscope and objectives
Yes, the abdomen on this fly looks for the world like that of a tachinid. Tachinidae can usually be separated from related flies by their possession of a 'projecting postscutellum' (though this feature can be absent in a few of them). I've never tried to key out Metopia to Sarcophagidae (may be easy or difficult?) -- just knew that some sarc's had these 'lit-up' faces, then deduced the identity of your fly via photos & info on the web (i.e., "cheated")!
Eric
Eric