(April 22, 2015) The effect is known from the smart phone: Sun is reflected
by the display and hardly anything can be seen. In contrast to this, the
glasswing butterfly hardly reflects any light in spite of its transparent
wings. As a result, it is difficult for predatory birds to track the butterfly
during the flight. Researchers of KIT under the direction of Hendrik Hölscher
found that irregular nanostructures on the surface of the butterfly wing cause
the low reflection. In theoretical experiments, they succeeded in reproducing
the effect that opens up fascinating application options, e.g. for displays of
mobile phones or laptops.