Colorful peacock spiders owe their vibrance to microlenses
Colors on the abdomens of male peacock spiders appear extremely bright because of black patches situated there, a study published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B suggests. Researchers say the patches consist of densely packed microlenses that reflect less than 0.5% of light, making the surrounding colors seem as if they are glowing.
This surface of microlenses is remarkably similar to that of humanmade solar panels, scientists note. These superblack patches are also seen in birds-of-paradise and are key in their mating dance, suggesting they may be common in nature.
