Rainbo-noids? Spectralisms? I dunno. Is there an official name for these? My question though is, what organisms in your area display a full (or nearly full) spectrum of humanly observable colours? Here’s my pick for my part of Canada (southern Ontario). [image] The Wood Duck, Aix sponsa. What …

Sap flies (g Aulacigaster) [DSC02298-ARW-Edit-max2048]

Sadly, Arctostaphylos rainbowensis is not actually rainbow colored.

In fact, most small winged insects display WIPs, or wing interference patterns, which may encapsulate the entire spectrum of visible light, depending on the species (as these patterns are species-specific!): https://jhr.pensoft.net/article/111382/

We have a lot of Rainbow colored birds in Australia: Rainbow Lorikeets: [P1499521] Eastern Rosellas: [P1522660] Rainbow Bee-eaters: [P1523471] and Musk Lorikeets: [P1046247-Edit-Edit] to name just a few.

When we start to get into non-pigment based structural physics (structural coloring), there’s a lot of very interesting bio-nano-tech going on. Weevils and their amazing color-tuned, embedded ‘diamonds’. Butterfly scales, feathers, buttercup flowers – thin-film interference. a range of photonic mec…

I had a similar reaction with the genus Rainbowia – interesting name but my interaction with one was not as colorful as I would have assumed.

A few examples from the world of insects … Another long-legged fly with a shiny, rainbow appearance – [Subfamily Sciapodinae] Subfamily Sciapodinae | 얼룩장다리파리아과 | Observation I had wanted to see a tiger beetle for the longest time and when I finally did encounter one it was kind enough to let m…

All the crayons: organisms that display the full colour spectrum

Nature Talk

chipperatl April 2, 2025, 2:04am 24

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All the crayons: organisms that display the full colour spectrum

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