Chrysochroa fulgens

Charles Krebs · Post by **Charles Krebs** » Sun Oct 19, 2008 2:43 pm

This is the most outrageously colored "jewel beetle" that I've had the fortune to photograph. Both the dorsal and ventral side are spectacular.
The upper shot is probably the lowest magnification "microscope" image I've made... about 2X (on sensor). Both were made using a Nikon SMZ-800 stereoscope and the Canon 5D camera.

As usual when dealing with a shiny, iridescent, subject; the trickiest part was setting up the lighting to "show off" these unbelievable colors.

Aynia · Post by **Aynia** » Mon Oct 20, 2008 2:36 am

Amazing photos.

Harold Gough · Post by **Harold Gough** » Mon Oct 20, 2008 3:52 am

Breathtaking colours. Difficult to explain all of that in terms of natural selection, in that a fraction of it might have sufficed!

Thus gives potential for the Administrators' Appreciation Gallery to show a pair of images.

Harold

rjlittlefield · Post by **rjlittlefield** » Mon Oct 20, 2008 11:18 am

A beautiful beetle, perfectly photographed!

I presume this is stacked. Can you share with us how many frames?

--Rik

Charles Krebs · Post by **Charles Krebs** » Mon Oct 20, 2008 12:45 pm

Thanks!

Rik... the upper image was a 20 image stack, the lower was 24 images. I have not done too many stacks with this equipment, and I suspect it could have been accomplished with fewer images. But as you know, when in doubt, "too many" is better than "too few"

. The focus on the stand I'm using is typical of many stereo focus racks in that it has only one focus gearing. I was pressed for time so I didn't experiment much with the interval. I haven't really had the time to run "every other" or "every third" image.

Martin Kreutz · Post by **Martin Kreutz** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 12:05 pm

Hi Charles

both the beetle as well as your technique are unique!

Martin

Ecki · Post by **Ecki** » Thu Oct 23, 2008 10:22 am

Hi Charles,

wonderful images! The creator of this beetle must have been on acid!

Does anyone have an explanation what purpose this colors have? As far as I understand, nothing in natur is without a purpose. Do the colors irritate predators?

Best regards
Ecki

Harold Gough · Post by **Harold Gough** » Thu Oct 23, 2008 12:04 pm

Maybe, when out hunting for prey of a particular colour....

Harold

Charles Krebs · Post by **Charles Krebs** » Thu Oct 23, 2008 1:24 pm

Ecki,

I'll leave it to others to give opinions on the purpose of these colors.

But from:
http://utenti.romascuola.net/bups/jewel.htm

No other family of Beetles, except, perhaps, Chrysomelidae, is distinguished to be so rich of colourful species. Why, during their evolution, these Insects became so gaily-coloured? For several species we can find specific reasons: mimicry and cryptism, but in many other Buprestidae we must find another explanation. The reason is very simple and obvious: unlike many other Insects, especially among Coleoptera, using preferably other senses, they can recognize other specimens ot their own species using their organs of sight. When an adult is looking for food, a male is looking for a female, or a female is trying to find a host plant for the next generation, they probably are helped to reach the right area by their smell, but then they must use their eyes to identify the right target. This is probably the most important reason that makes Buprestids typical diurnal species (there are few important exceptions, like some black species of Melanophila and Merimna) and give to the body of many closely related species so many different colourings. A different colouration is also used by many species of some genera to differentiate males to females. This and few other characteristics determine the sexual dimorphism in this family of Coleoptera.

Ecki · Post by **Ecki** » Fri Oct 24, 2008 8:55 am

Charles,

thanks for the Link.

regards
Ecki

Harold Gough · Post by **Harold Gough** » Fri Oct 24, 2008 10:58 pm

The patterns are clearly for sexual recognition in the Lepidoptera. It is probably more than coincidence that they appear in some Coleoptera. Both orders are of the most advanced insects, those with metamorphosis, that is, with a pupa stage. Maybe there is something similar in the Diptera but most examples that come to mind are of mimicry.

Harold

NikonUser · Post by **NikonUser** » Sat Oct 25, 2008 5:16 am

Harold Gough wrote:The patterns are clearly for sexual recognition in the Lepidoptera.
Harold

Clarification: how about "in some Lepidoptera, e.g. butterflies".
Wing patterns and colours are probably involved in recognition by Butterflies but remember that most of the Lepidoptera are night-flying moths where colour and pattern are not likely to play a part in sexual recognition. They seem to use smell.
Majerus (2002) estimates there are 200,000 moth species worldwide; and my guess is that 80% of the Leps. are moths of which most are nocturnal.

Harold Gough · Post by **Harold Gough** » Sun Oct 26, 2008 12:27 am

NikonUser wrote:
Harold Gough wrote:The patterns are clearly for sexual recognition in the Lepidoptera.
Harold
Clarification: how about "in some Lepidoptera, e.g. butterflies".
Wing patterns and colours are probably involved in recognition by Butterflies but remember that most of the Lepidoptera are night-flying moths where colour and pattern are not likely to play a part in sexual recognition. They seem to use smell.
Majerus (2002) estimates there are 200,000 moth species worldwide; and my guess is that 80% of the Leps. are moths of which most are nocturnal.

I actually hesitated as to whether to specify day-flying. But thought that would be understood, in that the beetles concerned are active in the daytime. Perhaps I made the wrong decision.

Harold