Microscopic Observation of the White-Spotted Flower Chafer

 Today’s microscope photo features the Protaetia orientalis, commonly known as the White-Spotted Flower Chafer.

The other day, I came across a specimen that had unfortunately been run over on the road.
I asked the ants to do the cleaning, and after about a week, they had prepared a beautifully cleaned sample suitable for microscopic observation.

It shows four species: Protaetia orientalis (White-Spotted Flower Chafer), Protaetia brevitarsis (White-Spotted Rose Chafer), Rhomborrhina japonica (Japanese beetle), and Drosophila (fruit flies).

In addition, hornets often join the scene.

There was another intriguing discovery on the wings.
Although the underside of the wings initially appeared to be uniformly brown, a closer look revealed faint black patterns.

The first surprise was the chafer’s eyes—they had eyelashes!
The antennae are located just in front of the eyes, and tiny hair-like structures (resembling eyelashes) grow from them.
This area is exposed to wind during flight, so these structures may function like wipers.
Another interesting feature is the presence of an eye guard on the upper part of the eyes, possibly another adaptation to protect the eyes.

There were also notable findings on the wings.

Although the underside of the wings initially appeared to be uniformly brown, faint black patterns became visible upon closer inspection.
Under polarized light observation using a metallurgical microscope, these patterns stood out clearly.
It appears there is a reflective layer on the wing surface.
Could it serve some specific function?

On the outer surface of the wings, horseshoe-shaped structures were observed.
These might help regulate airflow, as this side of the wing faces into the wind during flight.

Another discovery was that the white markings on the wings were made of hair.
I had assumed they were hard, solid structures, so this was quite surprising.
Since the patterns vary between individuals, they may not serve a functional purpose.
Still, what could these hairs mean?

Equipment Used:
Observation methods:

• Reflected light polarization

• Reflected light brightfield

• Reflected light darkfield

• Reflected light differential interference contrast (DIC)

Microscope: Olympus BH2 UMA
Objective lenses: Olympus NeoSPlan 5 NIC, NeoSPlan 10 NIC