(Nanowerk News) A small green beetle may have some interesting lessons to teach scientists about optics and liquid crystals – complex mechanisms the insect uses to create a shell so strikingly ...

"Jewel beetles" are widely known for their glossy external skeletons that appear to change colors as the angle of view changes. Now they may be known for something else--providing a blueprint for ...

Four new species of shimmery, beautifully colored jewel beetles have been discovered in southeastern Asia. "All new species belong to the genus Philanthaxia," said Oto Nakládal, author of a study on ...

Concealed among the leaves of a forest in China was a winged creature with a “magical red” body. The shiny, “metallic” animal was much harder to find than it might seem. When scientists finally ...

(Nanowerk News) The secrets of why central-American jewel scarab beetles look like they are made from pure gold, has been uncovered by physicists at the University of Exeter. The ornate beetles, which ...

Bright colors are often considered an evolutionary tradeoff in the animal kingdom. Yes, a male peacock's colorful feathers may help it attract a mate, but they also make it more likely to be seen by a ...

The secrets of why central-American jewel scarab beetles look like they are made from pure gold, has been uncovered by physicists. The secrets of why central-American jewel scarab beetles look like ...

June 16 (UPI) --The jewel scarab beetles of Central America appear as if they've been carved from pure gold. New research explains how. Scientists at the University of Exeter in Great Britain ...

The paper actually doesn't have any evidence about a lack of sexual selection for iridescence in this particular beetle. Indeed, it could be both: camouflage from predators in certain environments ...