A Golden Tortoise Beetle quickly shifted from gold to brown when I took its picture.
"... golden tortoise beetles aren’t always so golden. In fact, they can change color depending on the season or even their mood using the liquid beneath their transparent shell. Underneath the shell are three layers of cuticle, each covered in tiny nooks and crannies that appear smooth when covered with liquid, and reflect light perfectly like a mirror. But when a golden tortoise beetle is agitated or under attack from a predator, it contracts the spaces between the layers of cuticle and forces liquid out of the grooves — doing away with the iridescence and usually revealing a brownish-orange color." from baynature.org.
No comments:
Post a Comment