Caterpillar kinematics

John Brackenbury ()
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John Brackenbury: Department of Anatomy

Nature, 1997, vol. 390, issue 6659, 453-453

Abstract: Abstract The design of a caterpillar's body forces it to walk slowly — but even though it cannot run away from danger, it can roll up quickly into a protective coil. Here, I show that the mother-of-pearl moth, Pleurotya ruralis, uses this reflex coiling as the basis for a method of high-speed escape. By anchoring the end of its body to the ground and recoiling against it, the larva converts itself into a backwardly rolling wheel. In doing this, it shows that the limitations of a soft, segmented body can be overcome, using the basic assemblage of segmental muscles, by temporarily sacrificing the need for stability.

Date: 1997
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DOI: 10.1038/37253

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