Cuticular modified air sacs underlie white coloration in the olive fruit fly, Bactrocera oleae

Manuela Rebora; Gianandrea Salerno; Silvana Piersanti; Alexander Kovalev; Stanislav Gorb

doi:10.1038/s42003-021-02396-4

Communications Biology (Jul 2021)

Cuticular modified air sacs underlie white coloration in the olive fruit fly, Bactrocera oleae

Manuela Rebora,
Gianandrea Salerno,
Silvana Piersanti,
Alexander Kovalev,
Stanislav Gorb

Affiliations

Manuela Rebora: Dipartimento di Chimica, Biologia e Biotecnologie, University of Perugia, Via Elce di Sotto 8
Gianandrea Salerno: Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie, Alimentari e Ambientali, University of Perugia, Borgo XX Giugno
Silvana Piersanti: Dipartimento di Chimica, Biologia e Biotecnologie, University of Perugia, Via Elce di Sotto 8
Alexander Kovalev: Department of Functional Morphology and Biomechanics, Zoological Institute, Kiel University, Am Botanischen Garten 9
Stanislav Gorb: Department of Functional Morphology and Biomechanics, Zoological Institute, Kiel University, Am Botanischen Garten 9

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-021-02396-4
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 4, no. 1
pp. 1 – 12

Abstract

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Manuela Rebora et al. use electron and fluorescence microscopy together with reflectance spectra to examine structural white patches present in the olive fruit fly, Bactrocera oleae. Their results suggest that white coloring is a result of transparent cuticle and modified air sacs within these patches, providing further insight into how structural white emerges in insects.

Published in Communications Biology

ISSN: 2399-3642 (Online)
Publisher: Nature Portfolio
Country of publisher: United Kingdom
LCC subjects: Science: Biology (General)
Website: https://www.nature.com/commsbio/

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