Skin of a molted cicada on a grass blade when exposed to ...

The image presents a striking comparison of the cicada's molted skin under two different lighting conditions: regular daylight and ultraviolet (UV-A) blacklight illumination. The top photograph showcases the cicada's exoskeleton on a grass blade illuminated by natural daylight, while the bottom image reveals the same scene bathed in UV-A light.

**Top Image (Daylight):**

* **Subject:** A cicada's molted skin is prominently displayed on a grass blade.
* **Lighting:** The photograph captures the subject under normal daylight conditions.
* **Background:** The background features a solid gray color, providing a neutral contrast to the vibrant colors of the cicada's exoskeleton.

**Bottom Image (UV-A Blacklight):**

* **Subject:** The same cicada's molted skin is again visible on the grass blade, but this time illuminated by a 365 nm UV-A blacklight.
* **Lighting:** The use of UV-A light highlights specific features of the cicada's exoskeleton that would otherwise be invisible to the naked eye.
* **Background:** Similar to the top image, the background remains unchanged, maintaining its gray color.

**Key Observations:**

* **Coloration:** Under regular daylight, the cicada's exoskeleton appears brownish in hue. In contrast, UV-A light reveals a blue-green fluorescence emanating from various parts of the exoskeleton.
* **Pattern and Features:** The UV-A illumination accentuates intricate patterns and details on the cicada's body that are not discernible under natural lighting conditions.

**Conclusion:**

The juxtaposition of these two images effectively illustrates the distinct effects of different light sources on the appearance of biological specimens. While regular daylight provides a general view of the cicada's exoskeleton, UV-A blacklight illumination reveals previously unseen features and patterns, underscoring the importance of specialized lighting techniques in scientific observation and documentation. – AI vision