Wing interference patterns of Chrysomya blowflies (Diptera: Calliphoridae)

Wing interference patterns (WIPs) are stable structural colours displayed on insect wings which are only visible at specific viewing geometries and against certain backgrounds. These patterns are widespread among flies and wasps, and growing evidence suggests that they may function as species- and sex-specific mating cues in a range of taxa. As such, it is expected that WIPs should differ between species and show clear sexual dimorphisms. However, the true extent to which WIPs vary between species, sexes, and individuals is currently unclear, as previous studies have only taken a qualitative approach, without considering how WIPs might be perceived by the insect. Using multispectral digital imaging and a tentative model of blowfly colour vision, we provide the first quantitative dataset of inter- and intra-specific variation in WIPs across seven Australian species of the blowfly genus Chrysomya. These data suggest that WIPs have diversified substantially in blowflies as a result of eith...