27 August 2010

Butterfly eggs

Colorized SEM images from a gallery at National Geographic by Martin Oeggerli at the Prüftechnik Uri and School of Applied Sciences, FHNW [presumably Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz].  Top to bottom:

Owl butterfly egg (Caligo memnon) - At the center is a minute opening, called a micropyle, through which the sperm enters the egg.

Red lacewing butterfly egg (Cethosia biblis) - the lacy pattern marks the micropyle, where sperm enters. A similar design appears on the scaly wings that gave the red lacewing butterfly its name.

Large white butterfly egg (Pieris brassicae)

Zebra longwing butterfly egg (Heliconius charithonia) - The egg contains cyanide and other toxins ingested by adults from the plants they eat.

5 comments:

  1. Extraordinary and beautiful - thank you!

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  2. I'd swear these were part of the squash family! THIS is why I love all things nature, science, biology, photography, etc.!

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  3. Fascinating - some of these images resemble cacti!

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    Replies
    1. Of course as you think about it, some of them are designed to survive in a hot or warm climate without getting dried out.

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