Snout of a butterfly

This CSI is a scanning electron micrograph of the snout of a butterfly. Conveniently coiled when not in use, the long proboscises of butterflies are used to drink and obtain nectar and other nutrients from flowers. This pretty picture was obtained with the aid of a scanning electron microscope, a microscope that scans a specimen with a directed, machine-gun-like stream of electrons — negatively charged particles that are scanned in similar ways to make your TV and computer screens come alive. In a scanning electron microscope, the energy and wavelength of the electrons can be used to provide depth of field and high resolution, a nifty feat that provide three-dimensional definition of very small structures. Such a microscope can magnify things from 10 to 300,000 times.

You can see an entire gallery of CSIs like this — and more — by going to Hawaii. Watch out for the micro aliens!

A special thanks to award-winning photomicrographer Dennis Kunkel who let us use this awesome picture.

All images are owned and copyrighted by Dennis Kunkel and are protected by the United States Copyright Law.