TY - JOUR
T1 - Micro- and nanoscopic observations of sexual dimorphisms in Mecynorhina polyphemus confluens (Kraatz, 1890) (Coleoptera, Cetoniidae, Goliathini) and consequences for surface wettability
AU - Montreuil, Olivier
AU - Candet, Christophe
AU - Bonaccorso, Alexandre
AU - Szczepanski, Caroline R.
AU - Orange, François
AU - Godeau, René Paul
AU - Guittard, Frédéric
AU - Darmanin, Thierry
AU - Godeau, Guilhem
N1 - Funding Information:
The group particularly thanks Chaminade Ets. for their efficiency and the quality of their service. This work was supported by the French National Research Agency ( ANR , Agence Nationale de la Recherche ) as future investment project UCA JEDI with reference: n° ANR-15-IDEX-01.
PY - 2019/3
Y1 - 2019/3
N2 - In the animal kingdom, macroscopic variations in size, color, and even hairiness are frequently observed between male and female, making the sex of various species easy to discern. In the case of insects, similar variances also exist. While direct observation is a quick and efficient way to differentiate between sexes, there are also variations which are unseen to the naked eye and occur on a micro- or nanoscopic scale. Sometimes, these micro/nanoscopic variations can lead to significant variations in surface properties as a function of sex. Such is the case for the Mecynorhina polyphemus confluens (Kraatz, 1890). In this work, we characterize these micro- and nanoscale differences, and describe their impact on the surface properties (e.g. wettability). It is found that water interacts quite differently with the surface of the cuticle of Mecynorhina polyphenus confluens, depending on the specimen sex. On a female, water spreads readily across the elytra indicating hydrophilic behavior. However, on the surface of the male elytra, strong hydrophobicity is observed. Microscopic observations reveal differences in microscale surface morphology across the male and female cuticle. These observations contribute to a better, global understanding of the wettability behavior observed on M. polyphemus confluens.
AB - In the animal kingdom, macroscopic variations in size, color, and even hairiness are frequently observed between male and female, making the sex of various species easy to discern. In the case of insects, similar variances also exist. While direct observation is a quick and efficient way to differentiate between sexes, there are also variations which are unseen to the naked eye and occur on a micro- or nanoscopic scale. Sometimes, these micro/nanoscopic variations can lead to significant variations in surface properties as a function of sex. Such is the case for the Mecynorhina polyphemus confluens (Kraatz, 1890). In this work, we characterize these micro- and nanoscale differences, and describe their impact on the surface properties (e.g. wettability). It is found that water interacts quite differently with the surface of the cuticle of Mecynorhina polyphenus confluens, depending on the specimen sex. On a female, water spreads readily across the elytra indicating hydrophilic behavior. However, on the surface of the male elytra, strong hydrophobicity is observed. Microscopic observations reveal differences in microscale surface morphology across the male and female cuticle. These observations contribute to a better, global understanding of the wettability behavior observed on M. polyphemus confluens.
KW - Mecynorhina
KW - Nanostructured surfaces
KW - Natural surface
KW - Sexual dimorphisms
KW - Wettability
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U2 - 10.1016/j.asd.2019.01.007
DO - 10.1016/j.asd.2019.01.007
M3 - Article
C2 - 30721756
AN - SCOPUS:85061535952
VL - 49
SP - 10
EP - 18
JO - Arthropod Structure and Development
JF - Arthropod Structure and Development
SN - 1467-8039
ER -