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Chrysina limbata is a species of beetle native to the tropical
rainforests of Central America known for its metallic reflective silver
color which makes specimens look like living pieces of jewelry.
Chrysina limbata is regarded as one of the most beautiful insect species
on Earth, and for good reason. These beetles have a reflective silver
metallic appearance that is so clear one can actually see their
reflection in them. According to Wikipedia, this stunning visual effect
“is achieved through thin film interference within layers of chitin.
These layers of the chitin coating are chirped (in layers of differing
thicknesses), forming a complex multilayer as each layer decreases in
depth; as the thickness changes, so too does the optical path-length.
Each chirped layer is tuned to a different wavelength of light”.
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The species of silver beetle has long been very popular among
collectors, with some paying as much as $500 per pristine specimens, but
it recently became the talk of social media, after a set of photos
posted by a Costa Rican man.
While strolling through his property, Michael Farmer noticed something
shiny on the leaves of a guava tree. It glinted in the sun like a piece
of polished metal, but as he approached, he noticed that the metal was
alive and crawling on the leaves.
“I was amazed by how beautiful it was,” Farmer told The Dodo. “[I’ve]
never seen anything like it. [It] was like a mirror. Utterly flawless
reflection in the beetle, truly one of the most beautiful things I’ve
ever seen.”
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After snapping some photos of the beetle with his phone, Michael Farmer
put it back on the guava tree leaf and it quickly flew away. He hopes to
see another one soon, but, sadly, Chrysina limbata beetle numbers are
dwindling, due primarily to habitat loss. |