UV-reflecting wing scales in the silk moth Antheraea assamensis: its biophysical implications

Scanning electron microcopy of the wing scales from some specific locations in the silk moth, Antheraea assamensis, revealed the presence of 50-60-nm-thick microridges and 80-nm-thick air spaces between them. The principle of optics suggests that when the measured average thickness of microridges or lamellae is about 50-60 nm, that of the air-space between them is about 80-82 nm, then due to the known refractive index of air (1.0) and the infrared refractive index of lamellar cuticle (1.60), the lamellae (microridges) and the intervening lamellar air spaces will have similar optical thickness. A common optical thickness for the two types of layers causes the microridge structures to function in the fashion of a quarter wavelength interference filter and to reflect UV light. Behavioral studies under the natural conditions and short experimental exposure of the moths to artificial UV light suggests that coupling behavior of the moth is governed to a significant extent by these UV-reflecting wing scales. The importance of the study in overcoming a major problem of low autocoupling efficiency of moths in the Muga Silk Industry is discussed with the help of relevant literature.