EXETER, England, Jan. 25 (UPI) -- A British study suggests an obscure species of beetle might be able to teach humans how to manufacture brilliant white, ultra-thin materials.
The Cyphochilus beetle has a highly unusual brilliant white shell and now scientists from the University of Exeter and Imerys Minerals Ltd. report finding the secret to the beetle's appearance, which is much whiter and brighter than milk and the average human tooth, which are both considerably thicker.
"This kind of brilliant whiteness from such a thin sample is rare in nature," said Pete Vukusic of the University of Exeter. "As soon as I saw it, every instinct told me that the beetle was something very special."
In the future, Vukusic says the paper we write on, the color of our teeth and even the efficiency of the rapidly emerging new generation of white light sources will be significantly improved if technology can take and apply the design ideas learned from the beetle.
Native to South-east Asia, it's believed the beetle's whiteness evolved to mimic local white fungi as a form of camouflage.
The research appears in the current issue of the journal Science.
