FLUORESCENCE FROM COVER AND BASAL SCALES OF MORPHO-SULKOWSKYI AND PAPILIO-XUTHUS BUTTERFLIES

Fluorescence from the cover and basal scales on a wing of the male Mor pho sulkowskyi butterfly was investigated using microspectrophotometry (MSP). From these scales, two fluorescence peaks were observed with a different intensity ratio between the cover and the basal scales. The fluorescence spectrum from the cover scale had a peak around 440 nm, which was stronger than a peak around 490 nm, while the intensities of these peaks were reversed in the basal scale. In addition to this but terfly, fluorescence from the wing of the male Papilio xuthus butterfl y was studied with a result that there was no distinct difference in t he fluorescence spectra between the cover and the basal scales. On the basis of these results, a possibility to use the MSP method as a tool for the classification of the butterfly is briefly described. (C) 199 6 Wiley-Liss, Inc.