Chrysina gloriosa explained

Chrysina gloriosa is a species of scarab whose common names are glorious beetle and glorious scarab. It is found only in southern United States (southeastern Arizona, southern New Mexico and southwestern Texas) and northern Mexico (Chihuahua and Sonora).[1] The adult beetles, which are active both day and night and primarily seen from June to August, eat juniper leaves and the larvae feed on decaying wood from Arizona sycamore.[2] A synonym formerly used for the species is Plusiotis gloriosa.[3]

The adult beetles are 20mm30mm long,[4] [5] and are bright green with silver stripes on the elytra (red and purple color forms occur but are very rare).[3] These iridescent stripes on the cuticle of the elytra are a result of cholesteric liquid crystal organization of chitin molecules.[6] The differences in color are a result of the microscopic structure of each section, with green reflected from cusp-like structures and silver reflected from flat layers parallel to the surface of the elytra.[7] As established through Mueller matrix spectroscopic ellipsometry,[8] [9] the optical properties change with the incidence angle of the propagating light. The polygonal cells in the green stripes generate self-healing Bessel beams.[10]

The species is sometimes incorrectly thought to have been officially recognized as endangered,[11] but it has never been rated by the IUCN or listed under the United States Endangered Species Act. It can be locally abundant.[3]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Chrysina gloriosa (Leconte) . Generic Guide to New World Scarab Beetles . University of Nebraska-Lincoln State Museum - Division of Entomology . 17 July 2023 .
  2. Web site: Species Chrysina gloriosa . July 17, 2023 . Bug Guide .
  3. Web site: Species Chrysina gloriosa — Glorious Scarab . September 18, 2009 . Bug Guide .
  4. Web site: Glorious Scarab Beetle (Chrysina gloriosa) . insectidentification.org . 17 July 2023 .
  5. Web site: Plusiotis (=Chrysina) gloriosa . naturalworlds.org . 17 July 2023 .
  6. Pace. A.. 1972. Cholesteric liquid crystal-like structure of the cuticle of Plusiotis gloriosa. Science. 176. 4035. 678–680. 10.1126/science.176.4035.678. 17778170. 1972Sci...176..678P . 22748746 .
  7. Agez. G.. Bayon. C.. Mitov. M.. 2017. Multiwavelength micromirrors in the cuticle of scarab beetle Chrysina gloriosa. Acta Biomaterialia. en. 48. 357–367. 10.1016/j.actbio.2016.11.033. 27856284.
  8. Fernández del Río. Lía. Arwin. Hans. Järrendahl. Kenneth. 2014. Polarizing properties and structural characteristics of the cuticle of the scarab beetle Chrysina gloriosa. Thin Solid Films. en. 571. 410–415. 10.1016/j.tsf.2013.11.149. free. 2014TSF...571..410F .
  9. Ŕıo. L. Fernández del. Arwin. Hans. Järrendahl. Kenneth. 2014. Polarization of light reflected from Chrysina gloriosa under various illuminations. Materials Today: Proceedings. en. 1. 172–176. 10.1016/j.matpr.2014.09.020. free.
  10. Bouchal. P.. Kapitán. J.. Konecny. M. Zbončák. M.. Bouchal. Z.. 2019-12-01. Non-diffracting light in nature: Anomalously reflected self-healing Bessel beams from jewel scarabs. APL Photonics. en. 4. 12. 126102. 10.1063/1.5125045. 2378-0967. free. 2019APLP....4l6102B .
  11. Book: Arnett, Ross H. Jr. . Richard L. Jacques, Jr. . Simon & Schuster's Guide To Insects . Simon & Schuster . 1981 . New York, New York . 108 . 0-671-25014-0 .

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