Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
5403714 | Journal of Luminescence | 2007 | 6 Pages |
Abstract
Melanophila acuminata beetles are attracted to forest fires over long distances by a pair of specialized infrared sensory organs. To date, there is no knowledge of their ability to detect or emit fluorescent radiation. We studied the Melanophila acuminata infrared sensory organs histologically and by using fluorescent microscopy, acoustic-optic tunable filter microscopy, and two-photon microscopy to identify fluorescence. We found fluorescent absorption at radiation wavelengths of 480Â nm and emission at 570Â nm. The functional role of this novel fluorescence is, as of yet, unknown but may be applied to species classification, identification and behavioral studies.
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Authors
Meir Israelowitz, Syed H.W. Rizvi, Herbert P. von Schroeder,