Cuticular nanostructures found in insects effectively manage light for light polarization, structural color, or optical index matching within an ultrathin natural scale. These nanostructures are mainly dedicated to manage incoming light and recently inspired many imaging and display applications. A bioluminescent organ, such as a firefly lantern, helps to out-couple light from the body in a highly efficient fashion for delivering strong optical signals in sexual communication. However, the cuticular nanostructures, except the light-producing reactions, have not been well investigated for physical principles and engineering biomimetics. Here we report a unique observation of high-transmission nanostructures on a firefly lantern and its biological inspiration for highly efficient LED illumination. Both numerical and experimental results clearly reveal high transmission through the nanostructures inspired from the lantern cuticle. The nanostructures on an LED lens surface were fabricated by using a large-area nanotemplating and reconfigurable nanomolding with heat-induced shear thinning. The biologically inspired LED lens, distinct from a smooth surface lens, substantially increases light transmission over visible ranges, comparable to conventional antireflection coating. This biological inspiration can offer new opportunities for increasing the light extraction efficiency of high-power LED packages.

We have previously shown that parasite eggs have been identified in the coprolites of Korean mummies. These eggs have shed light on parasitic infection patterns in Korean populations living several hundred years ago. We conducted a scanning electron microscopy (SEM) study on ancient Trichuris trichiura, Ascaris lumbricoides, Metagonimus yokogawai, Paragonimus westermani, and Gymnophalloides seoi eggs recovered from Korean mummies of the Joseon Dynasty. We anticipated that the taphonomic conditions of mummification would alter the eggs of certain species but not of others. Our SEM data show that each species of ancient egg exhibited different degrees of preservation. Thus, some of them, for example, M. yokogawai, exhibited a better preservation status than others, suggesting that they should be the first candidates considered when choosing subjects for future paleoparasitological studies.

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Gynaecotyla squatarolae (Digenea: Microphallidae) adult flukes were recovered from experimental chicks at day 4-6 post-infection and their tegumental ultrastructure was observed with a scanning electron microscopy. They were pyriform in shape, and their anterior halves were concaved ventrally. The whole body surface was covered with tegumental spines, which were wide and 16-17 digitated between oral and ventral suckers. The density of spines and number of digits decreased posteriorly. The oral sucker was subterminal and the excretory pore was at the posterior end of the worm. Two ventral suckers were similar in appearance and protruded near midline of the worm. The genital atrium was dextral to the small ventral sucker. The dorsal surface was covered with tegumental spines, but the spines were sparser than on the ventral surface. On the middle portion of the dorsal surface, a small opening presumed to be the Laurer's canal was seen. From these findings, it has been confirmed that the adult G. squatarolae has unique characteristics in the surface ultrastructure.

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