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View article: Muscle power output reflects elevated viscosity in the propulsion system of flying miniature wasps
Muscle power output reflects elevated viscosity in the propulsion system of flying miniature wasps Open
Air viscosity compromises aerodynamic lift production in the smallest flying insects, leading to increased flight costs. Miniature insects thus utilize both lift and drag for weight support, but the exact energetic costs of wing flapping a…
View article: Resource limitation during larval growth leads to higher flight propensity in adult beetles
Resource limitation during larval growth leads to higher flight propensity in adult beetles Open
The mango stem borer Batocera rufomaculata is a large beetle (Cerambycidae) exhibiting a high intra-specific variation in adult body size because of differing environmental conditions during larval growth. Previous studies revealed that sm…
View article: Muscle power output reflects elevated viscosity in the propulsion system of flying miniature wasps
Muscle power output reflects elevated viscosity in the propulsion system of flying miniature wasps Open
Air viscosity compromises aerodynamic lift production in the smallest flying insects, leading to increased flight costs. Miniature insects thus utilize both lift and drag for weight support but the exact energetic costs of wing flapping at…
View article: Underwater paddling kinematics and hydrodynamics in a surface swimming duck versus a diving duck
Underwater paddling kinematics and hydrodynamics in a surface swimming duck versus a diving duck Open
Some duck species mostly swim on the water surface while others frequently dive underwater. We compared the paddling kinematics of mandarin ducks (Axis galericulata) that feed on the surface and diving ferruginous pochards (Aythya nyroca) …
View article: Insect wing flexibility improves the aerodynamic performance of small revolving wings
Insect wing flexibility improves the aerodynamic performance of small revolving wings Open
Insect wings are flexible, elastically deforming under loads experienced during flapping. The adaptive value of this flexibility was tested using a revolving wing set-up. We show that the wing flexibility of the beetle Batocera rufomaculat…
View article: Insect‐Inspired Drones: Adjusting the Flapping Kinetics of Insect‐Inspired Wings Improves Aerodynamic Performance
Insect‐Inspired Drones: Adjusting the Flapping Kinetics of Insect‐Inspired Wings Improves Aerodynamic Performance Open
Insects flap their wings through a highly specialized musculoskeletal system that allows the wings to rotate about three degrees of freedom. Consequently, the wingtip trajectory is adjustable in 3D, and accompanied with appropriate wing fe…
View article: The hydrodynamic performance of duck feet for submerged swimming resembles oars rather than delta-wings
The hydrodynamic performance of duck feet for submerged swimming resembles oars rather than delta-wings Open
Waterfowl use webbed feet to swim underwater. It has been suggested that the triangular shape of the webbed foot functions as a lift-generating delta wing rather than a drag-generating oar. To test this idea, we studied the hydrodynamic ch…
View article: Tailoring the Mechanical Properties of High‐Fidelity, Beetle‐Inspired, 3D‐Printed Wings Improves Their Aerodynamic Performance
Tailoring the Mechanical Properties of High‐Fidelity, Beetle‐Inspired, 3D‐Printed Wings Improves Their Aerodynamic Performance Open
Miniature flapping drones can potentially operate in small spaces, using lightweight membranous wings. Designing these flexible wings appropriately is crucial for effective flight performance. 3D printing allows not only to fabricate high‐…
View article: Intraspecific scaling and early life history determine the cost of free‐flight in a large beetle (<i>Batocera rufomaculata</i>)
Intraspecific scaling and early life history determine the cost of free‐flight in a large beetle (<i>Batocera rufomaculata</i>) Open
The scaling of the energetic cost of locomotion with body mass is well documented at the interspecific level. However, methodological restrictions limit our understanding of the scaling of flight metabolic rate ( MR ) in free‐flying insect…
View article: The distribution of Western flower thrips trapped on yellow cylinder
The distribution of Western flower thrips trapped on yellow cylinder Open
The Western flower thrips (WFT), Frankliniella occidentalis , is a very important pest of many crops worldwide and a vector of viral pathogens. Monitoring WFT in open fields using attractive colored traps mounted on wind vane indicated tha…
View article: Metabolic cost of flight and aerobic efficiency in the rose chafer, <i>Protaetia cuprea</i> (Cetoniinae)
Metabolic cost of flight and aerobic efficiency in the rose chafer, <i>Protaetia cuprea</i> (Cetoniinae) Open
Rose chafer beetles ( Protetia cuprea ) are pollinators as well as agricultural pests, flying between flowers and trees while foraging for pollen and fruits. Calculating the energy they expend on flying during foraging activity faces the c…
View article: Efficiency and Aerodynamic Performance of Bristled Insect Wings Depending on Reynolds Number in Flapping Flight
Efficiency and Aerodynamic Performance of Bristled Insect Wings Depending on Reynolds Number in Flapping Flight Open
Insect wings are generally constructed from veins and solid membranes. However, in the case of the smallest flying insects, the wing membrane is often replaced by hair-like bristles. In contrast to large insects, it is possible for both br…
View article: Insect flight metabolic rate revealed by bolus injection of the stable isotope <sup>13</sup> C
Insect flight metabolic rate revealed by bolus injection of the stable isotope <sup>13</sup> C Open
Measuring metabolic rate (MR) poses a formidable challenge in free-flying insects who cannot breathe into masks or be trained to fly in controlled settings. Consequently, flight MR has been predominantly measured on hovering or tethered in…
View article: Morphological diversification has led to inter-specific variation in elastic wing deformation during flight in scarab beetles
Morphological diversification has led to inter-specific variation in elastic wing deformation during flight in scarab beetles Open
Insect wing shapes and the internal wing-vein arrangement are remarkably diverse. Although the wings lack intrinsic musculature to adjust shape actively, they elastically deform due to aerodynamic and inertial loads during flapping. In tur…
View article: Supplementary material from "Morphological diversification has led to inter-specific variation in elastic wing deformation during flight in scarab beetles"
Supplementary material from "Morphological diversification has led to inter-specific variation in elastic wing deformation during flight in scarab beetles" Open
Insect wing shapes and the internal wing-vein arrangement are remarkably diverse. Although the wings lack intrinsic musculature to adjust shape actively, they elastically deform due to aerodynamic and inertial loads during flapping. In tur…
View article: The Aerodynamics and Power Requirements of Forward Flapping Flight in the Mango Stem Borer Beetle (<i>Batocera rufomaculata</i>)
The Aerodynamics and Power Requirements of Forward Flapping Flight in the Mango Stem Borer Beetle (<i>Batocera rufomaculata</i>) Open
Synopsis The need for long dispersal flights can drive selection for behavioral, physiological, and biomechanical mechanisms to reduce the energy spent flying. However, some energy loss during the transfer of momentum from the wing to the …
View article: Elastic wing deformations mitigate flapping asymmetry during manoeuvres in rose chafers (<i>Protaetia cuprea</i>)
Elastic wing deformations mitigate flapping asymmetry during manoeuvres in rose chafers (<i>Protaetia cuprea</i>) Open
To manoeuvre in air flying animals produce asymmetric flapping between contralateral wings. Unlike the adjustable vertebrate wings, insect wings lack intrinsic musculature, preventing active control over wing shape during flight. However, …
View article: Life in the flow: unique adaptations for feeding on drifting zooplankton in garden eels
Life in the flow: unique adaptations for feeding on drifting zooplankton in garden eels Open
A major challenge faced by sessile animals that feed in the flow is to maintain effective feeding postures while enduring hydrodynamic forces. Garden eels exhibit an exceptional lifestyle: feeding on drifting zooplankton while being “ancho…
View article: The effect of air resistance on the jump performance of a small parasitoid wasp,<i>Anagyrus pseudococci (Encyrtidae)</i>
The effect of air resistance on the jump performance of a small parasitoid wasp,<i>Anagyrus pseudococci (Encyrtidae)</i> Open
The distance a small insect moves through air during a jump is limited by the launch velocity at take-off and by air resistance. The launch velocity is limited by the length of the jumping legs and the maximum power that the jump apparatus…
View article: The aerodynamics of flight in an insect flight-mill
The aerodynamics of flight in an insect flight-mill Open
Predicting the dispersal of pest insects is important for pest management schemes. Flight-mills provide a simple way to evaluate the flight potential of insects, but there are several complications in relating tethered-flight to natural fl…
View article: Allometry of wing twist and camber in a flower chafer during free flight: How do wing deformations scale with body size?
Allometry of wing twist and camber in a flower chafer during free flight: How do wing deformations scale with body size? Open
Intraspecific variation in adult body mass can be particularly high in some insect species, mandating adjustment of the wing's structural properties to support the weight of the larger body mass in air. Insect wings elastically deform duri…
View article: Supplementary material from "Allometry of wing twist and camber in a flower chafer during free flight: How do wing deformations scale with body size?"
Supplementary material from "Allometry of wing twist and camber in a flower chafer during free flight: How do wing deformations scale with body size?" Open
Intraspecific variation in adult body mass can be particularly high in some insect species, mandating adjustment of the wing's structural properties to support the weight of the larger body mass in air. Insect wings elastically deform duri…
View article: Whiteflies stabilize their take-off with closed wings
Whiteflies stabilize their take-off with closed wings Open
The transition from ground to air in flying animals is often assisted by the legs pushing against the ground as the wings start to flap. Here, we show that when tiny whiteflies (Bemisia tabaci, body length ca. 1 mm) perform take-off jumps …