Capacity for heat absorption by the wings of the butterfly Tirumala limniace (Cramer)

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1 Research Institute of Resources Insects, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Kunming, Yunnan, People Republic of China
2 Key Laboratory of Cultivating and Utilization of Resources Insects of State Forestry Administration, Kunming, Yunnan, People Republic of China
3 College of Life Science, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming, Yunnan, People Republic of China
DOI
10.7287/peerj.preprints.27200v1
Published
Accepted
Subject Areas
Animal Behavior, Biophysics, Entomology
Keywords
heat absorption, heat storage, heat absorption area, heat transfer, wing, Tirumala limniace
Copyright
© 2018 Liao et al.
Licence
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, reproduction and adaptation in any medium and for any purpose provided that it is properly attributed. For attribution, the original author(s), title, publication source (PeerJ Preprints) and either DOI or URL of the article must be cited.
Cite this article
Liao H, Du T, Zhang Y, Shi L, Huai X, Zhou C, Deng J. 2018. Capacity for heat absorption by the wings of the butterfly Tirumala limniace (Cramer) PeerJ Preprints 6:e27200v1

Abstract

Butterflies can directly absorb heat from the sun via their wings to facilitate autonomous flight. However, how is the heat absorbed by the butterfly from sunlight stored and transmitted in the wing? The scientifc question remains unclear. Thus, in this study, we measured the thoracic temperature in the butterfly Tirumala limniace (Cramer) at different light intensities and wing opening angles, the thoracic temperature of butterflies with only one right fore wing or one right hind wing, the spectral reflectance of the wing surfaces, the thoracic temperature of butterflies with the scales removed or not in light or dark areas, and the real-time changes in heat absorption by the wing surfaces with temperature. High intensity light (600–60000 lx) allowed the butterflies to absorb more heat and 60−90° was the optimal angle for heat absorption. The heat absorption capacity was stronger in the fore wings than the hind wings. Dark areas on the wing surfaces were heat absorption areas. The dark areas in the mid-posterior near the wing base of wing cells A-Cu3 and Cu2-Cu3 on the fore wing, and wing cells 1A-Cu2, Cu1-Cu2, M3-Cu1, and R2-M1 on the hind wing were heat storage areas. Heat was transferred from the heat storage areas to the wing base through veins Cu2, Cu3, Cu, and A in the fore wing, and veins 1A, Cu2, Cu1, Cu, M1, M3, M, R2, and R in the hind wing.

Author Comment

This is a submission to PeerJ for review.

Supplemental Information

Data of heat absorption at different light intensities and wing opening angles

DOI: 10.7287/peerj.preprints.27200v1/supp-1

Data of heat absorption of butterflies with only one right fore wing or only one right hind wing under six light intensities

DOI: 10.7287/peerj.preprints.27200v1/supp-2

Data of wing expanse of fore and hind wings

DOI: 10.7287/peerj.preprints.27200v1/supp-3

The spectral reflectance of wing surface

DOI: 10.7287/peerj.preprints.27200v1/supp-4

The areas of the light areas, dark areas, and the entire wing surface

DOI: 10.7287/peerj.preprints.27200v1/supp-5

Data of heat absorption in four different scale removal treatments

DOI: 10.7287/peerj.preprints.27200v1/supp-6

Real-time temperature at the monitoring points in the heat storage areas and non-heat storage areas during heat absorption by the wing surfaces

DOI: 10.7287/peerj.preprints.27200v1/supp-7

Real-time temperature of wing vein heat transfer channels

DOI: 10.7287/peerj.preprints.27200v1/supp-8