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10-Minute Presentation

Systematics, Evolution, and Biodiversity

10-min: SysEB, Evolution 1 - Lineages Through Time

Insects demonstrate unparalleled capacity to reflect infrared solar radiation

Sunday, November 9, 2025
3:06 PM - 3:18 PM Pacific
Location: Oregon Convention Center, B113, OCC
Oral Presentation
When organisms are exposed to sunlight, they absorb radiation in visible and near-infrared (NIR) wavelengths that cause them to heat up. In extreme heat, reflectance of solar radiation is often adaptive, whereas insects in colder climates are selected to absorb more solar radiation. The composition and structure of insect exoskeletons determines the capacity for thermal reflectance. The functional biology, ecology, and evolution of this trait unexplored, even though this may constitute a substantial component of thermoregulation, especially for insects such as ants which are required to be exposed to the sunlight when active in the daytime. While current understanding indicates that the capacity to reflect in NIR is coupled with the reflectance of visible wavelengths, our investigations of across global-scale climate gradients indicate that the surfaces of many species of ants in hot climates demonstrate an extraordinary capacity to reflect NIR radiation, even though they may be dark in visible wavelengths. Our discovery suggests that investigations of the capacity of ants to reflect NIR radiation may provide the foundation for the bioinspired design of surfaces that are capable of preventing heat gain in locations and moments of extreme heat exposure.