The Colors Displayed by Rainbow Peacock Spiders Might Inspire a New Optical Technology (Study)

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The iridescence of male peacock spiders is hard to imitate artificially

The techniques used by animals to woo their partners and convince them to mate are known to be quite elaborate, but some are truly exquisite. A species of peacock spiders, for instance, use probably the most advanced wooing system in the form of a series of colors displayed like a rainbow on its body. The color positioning and design is so amazing that it might help researchers develop a new chromatic technology.

Rainbow peacock spiders bear an intricate display of colors on their bodies

Scientists have always been fascinated by this unique display on the bodies of rainbow peacock spiders. They were especially surprised by the iridescence of these colors, which they decided to study with the help of a series of advanced measurements, such as electron microscopy, scatterometry, or hyperspectral imaging.

After the analysis was done, researchers used all the measurements they had collected and put up a 3D simulation of the patterns on the back of rainbow peacock spiders. This way, they could identify the source of iridescence. Their abdomen is covered in 3D scales, which produce the light effect through diffraction.

The iridescence produced by their scales is hard to imitate by an artificial system

The interaction between the 3D formations and the colors causes light to become isolated into separate wavelengths. This is an example of an extremely complex mechanism, which can really work as an inspiration for scientists. At the moment, the actual optical processes are difficult to be mimicked by humans. However, by taking a close look at how they work, they can find out how to apply the same principles to their mechanisms.

Rainbow peacock spiders are a natural wonder. Apart from displaying the bright display of colors, they can also produce iridescence better than any artificial mechanism could ever do. Even after a thorough understanding of the processes, it would be impossible to precisely reproduce it artificially. However, knowing how they work can improve plenty of optical systems we use today.

The study on the bright display of the rainbow peacock spiders was published in the journal Nature Communications.
Image Source: Wikimedia Commons

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About Cliff Jenkins Scott

Cliff likes to describe himself as made for the hard road. Freelancing is taking off across the world. And yet, valuable opportunities are hard to find he thinks, particularly when it comes to writing. After graduating with an MA degree in Communication as a major and Technology and Writing as minors, Cliff decided to give his own website hosting creative writing a boost and engage in an overwhelming number of projects, all of them focused on writing. He didn’t look for a quick burnout, but his eagerness to learn as much as possible as rapidly as possible kept him going.