Black Swallowtail Wing Scales

Images made through a microscope. All subject types.

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Olympusman
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Joined: Sun Jan 15, 2012 12:31 pm

Black Swallowtail Wing Scales

Post by Olympusman »

These were scraped onto a slide from a wing fragment. It was interesting to see some scales even appeared to have 2 or 3 colors in a single scale. However, with a 40X objective, the prismatic effects that produce a butterflies colors do not read.

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Michael Reese Much FRMS EMS Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA

Lou Jost
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Post by Lou Jost »

The scales show an odd kind of damage, like delamination or something. Might something have been eating them?

Olympusman
Posts: 5090
Joined: Sun Jan 15, 2012 12:31 pm

Scales

Post by Olympusman »

Possible something might have been eating at them such as mites. This was a specimen a couple of years old, so that is a possibility.

Mike
Michael Reese Much FRMS EMS Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA

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