The shell of the cyphochilus beetle has overlapping scales that are ten times thiner than a human hair.

When you put it under an electron microscope,it is like another world has open up.it's totally remarkable.

It's colour has nothing to do with pigments.The secrete is in the size of filaments of which the scales are made and the spacing between the filaments.This structured scatters light in an unusually efficient manner.

"Industrial mineral coatings,such as those used in high quality paper,plastics and in some plants, would need to be twice as thick to be as white."

It's believed that the shell of the cyphochilus helps it blend in with a white fungus where its often found.But experts are more interested in how the secrete of this tiny beetle's colour can benefit humans.For example in the development of ultrawhite synthetic materials.Things such as the paper a write on,the colour of our teeth and even the brightness of lights will be significantly improved if technology can take and apply the design ideas we learn from this beetle."

What do you think?Did the white shell of the cyphochilus beetle come about by chance?Or was it designed?