title: Cylindrical Bragg mirrors on leg segments of the male Bolivian blueleg tarantula Pamphobeteus antinous (Theraphosidae).
abstract: The large male tarantula Pamphobeteus antinous is easily recognized at the presence of blue-violet iridescent bristles on some of the segments of its legs and pedipalps. The optical properties of these colored appendages have been measured and the internal geometrical structure of the bristles have been investigated. The coloration is shown to be caused by a curved coaxial multilayer which acts as a "cylindrical Bragg mirror".
authors.affiliation: Research Center in Physics of Matter and Radiation (PMR), University of Namur (FUNDP), rue de Bruxelles, 61, B-5000 Namur Belgium. priscilla.simonis@fundp.ac.be
authors.forename: Priscilla
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Simonis
authors.forename: Annick
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bay
authors.forename: Victoria L
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: Welch
authors.forename: Jean-François
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Colomer
authors.forename: Jean Pol
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Vigneron
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005121:Extremities / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology*; D007909:Lenses; D008297:Male; D012031:Refractometry / Q000379:methods*; D013112:Spiders / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure*