Iridescences: The Physical Colors of Insects

Butterflies and coleoptera are the most beautifully colored insects we can find. This book wants to understand the origin of these brilliant colors from a physics perspective. The different physical phenomena are explained and numerous color illustrations shown. The book is a rich source for optical physicists, biologists, and teachers alike.

Serge Berthier teaches physics at the Denis Diderot-Paris 7 University and researches biologic structures, colors and biomimetism at the Institut des NanoSciences de Paris ( Pierre and Marie Curie-Paris 6 University and CNRS). He teaches solid state optics in the post-graduate degree "Optics and material" and the post-graduate research degree "Optics and Photonic" for the Denis Diderot University. He also teaches electromagnetism and laser physics to undergraduates at the Paris-Jussieu Institut of Technology.