Department of Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA.
Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.
Nat Commun. 2020 Jan 28;11(1):551. doi: 10.1038/s41467-020-14408-8.
The wings of Lepidoptera contain a matrix of living cells whose function requires appropriate temperatures. However, given their small thermal capacity, wings can overheat rapidly in the sun. Here we analyze butterfly wings across a wide range of simulated environmental conditions, and find that regions containing living cells are maintained at cooler temperatures. Diverse scale nanostructures and non-uniform cuticle thicknesses create a heterogeneous distribution of radiative cooling that selectively reduces the temperature of structures such as wing veins and androconial organs. These tissues are supplied by circulatory, neural and tracheal systems throughout the adult lifetime, indicating that the insect wing is a dynamic, living structure. Behavioral assays show that butterflies use wings to sense visible and infrared radiation, responding with specialized behaviors to prevent overheating of their wings. Our work highlights the physiological importance of wing temperature and how it is exquisitely regulated by structural and behavioral adaptations.
鳞翅目昆虫的翅膀包含一个活细胞矩阵，其功能需要适当的温度。然而，由于它们的热容量小，翅膀在阳光下会迅速过热。在这里，我们分析了在广泛的模拟环境条件下的蝴蝶翅膀，发现包含活细胞的区域保持在较低的温度。多样的鳞片纳米结构和非均匀的角质层厚度形成了辐射冷却的非均匀分布，选择性地降低了翅膀脉和性器官等结构的温度。这些组织由循环、神经和气管系统供应，贯穿成虫的整个生命周期，这表明昆虫的翅膀是一个动态的、有生命的结构。行为分析表明，蝴蝶利用翅膀感知可见光和红外线辐射，并通过专门的行为来防止翅膀过热。我们的工作强调了翅膀温度的生理重要性，以及结构和行为适应是如何对其进行精细调节的。
