They have a reflective silver metallic appearance which is achieved through thin film interference within layers of chitin. These layers of the chitin coating are chirped (in layers of differing thicknesses), forming a complex multilayer as each layer decreases in depth; as the thickness changes, so too does the optical path-length. Each chirped layer is tuned to a different wavelength of light. The multilayer found on C. limbata reflects close to 97% of light across the visible wavelength range.
Nature is insane
WITNESS ME!
Ok, no one will ever believe me and that’s ok, but when I was a wee lad I took a trip up north to Tennessee (lol) and I swear on everything in this bush by a tree I saw two golden little beetles similar to that. A lot smaller but yea they were just… right there, it felt special but I really had no idea, still dont really. I thought someone had spray painted them or something, they were so shiny.
Grew up in North Alabama. There were June bugs that were more golden when I was a kid. Some of them looked like they were made of gold, and weren’t green like they are now. We’d tie a string around a leg and fly them like little dive bombers. Which is pretty terrible, but didn’t know any better.
Can’t imagine why they are rare what with the mirror surface announcing their presence to birds.
Limbata: The forbidden beetle.
Like a treasure from a sunken pirate wreck
is that the Technoloptera? Elroy is looking for one of those.
Kill it for some twinkling titanite.
