Tiny Subjects Big Pictures - Images

$Wing of a featherwing beetle (Ptiliidae), which are the smallest beetles in the world. The feathery wings are an adaption to the increased effective viscosity of air with such a small body size (0.3 - 4.0 millimetres). Adults and larvae are microphagous, feeding on the spores and hyphae of fungi, as well as other organic detritus. They are found in a many different habitats, including decaying wood, leaf litter and even inside ant nests. Darkfield image from antique microscope slide. Refraction interference colours can be seen in the wing hairs, which each have a fine ultrastructure that causes the effect.$

Alex Hyde Photography

Tiny Subjects Big Pictures 128 images Created 20 Sep 2011

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