【38mm】White-spotted Flower Chafer Cyphochilus beetle specimen Platinum Chafer

Scientific Name: Cyphochilus insulanus

English Name: White Scarab Beetle
Chinese Name: 大白金龟 (Dà bái jīn guī)

This species, featured on page 22 of Rare Insects BRUTUS, is a type of white scarab beetle found in Laos, known as one of the whitest organisms on Earth. Its whiteness is attributed to the nano-structure of the scales covering its entire body, which reflect light of all wavelengths equally, as explained in the publication.

The genus Cyphochilus consists of beetles with exceptionally bright white scales covering their entire exoskeleton, inhabiting Southeast Asia.

The name likely shares the same etymology as the previous Cyphochilus orchid. It derives from the Greek words kyphos (curved) and cheilos (lip), referring to its upturned lips.

Cyphochilus distinguishes itself from other species in the same superfamily by its highly asymmetrical labrum. Characteristic features specific to the species include 10-segmented antennae, scales covering only the upper part of the body, and a strongly asymmetrical labrum.
The whiteness of the scales is produced by a thin, irregular photonic structure (approximately 7 μm) that scatters light of all wavelengths with equal efficiency, resulting in a white appearance. This is particularly interesting considering that the exoskeleton of this species, beneath the scales, is black. This implies that scattering must be extremely efficient to achieve such high opacity.
The white scales are composed of sclerotins, a modified form of chitin polymers, and are whiter than any paper or artificial material produced as of 2022. This means the anisotropic spatial structure of the fibers results in a shorter scattering mean free path than any natural material, ensuring high packing efficiency while preventing optical clutter.

It is believed that this beetle evolved its white coloration to blend in with white fungi. The thickness of the chitin fibers is only a few micrometers, far thinner than even very thin paper. The chitin fibers are densely packed, scattering light efficiently, yet maintaining some degree of disorder in their arrangement. This strategy allows for the production of bright white coloration despite the low refractive index of sclerotins.
Please note that we cannot guarantee against grade reduction due to shipping.
I measured the body length from head to thorax to be 38mm.
The specimen shown in the image will be shipped.