Iridescent

Science

The focus of this piece is a female Hercules beetle (Dynastes hercules), that caught my eye due to its beautiful iridescent forewings. Species of birds, butterflies and beetles have wings or feathers that change colour when viewed from different angles, owing to the phenomenon of iridescence. There are no pigments involved here, only the magic of physics. These wings are made of tiny, layered, hard protein structures through which light enters and bounces off. As these different wavelengths bounce off the multiple layers, they interfere with each other - adding up, or subtracting - resulting in this shiny display.

https://www.theanimalfacts.com/insects-spiders/hercules-beetle/

Method

This artwork was created using acrylic paints. I worked from a photograph of a Hercules beetle and tried my best to copy the iridescent feel of the wings onto paper. The size of the original piece is approximately 10 cm X 5 cm, which is also approximately the same size as the actual insect.

Bio

Kelly Jowett is an applied entomologist working at Rothamsted research in the UK. Her scientific work centres around beneficial insects in farm landscapes, but she has an appreciation for all insect life. In her spare time she is an artist, and often links her research to art with science communication.

https://www.rothamsted.ac.uk/people/kelly-jowett