Novel flight style and light wings boost flight performance of tiny beetles

Sergey E. Farisenkov (), Dmitry Kolomenskiy, Pyotr N. Petrov, Thomas Engels, Nadezhda A. Lapina, Fritz-Olaf Lehmann, Ryo Onishi, Hao Liu and Alexey A. Polilov ()
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Sergey E. Farisenkov: Lomonosov Moscow State University
Dmitry Kolomenskiy: Tokyo Institute of Technology
Pyotr N. Petrov: Lomonosov Moscow State University
Thomas Engels: University of Rostock
Nadezhda A. Lapina: Lomonosov Moscow State University
Fritz-Olaf Lehmann: University of Rostock
Ryo Onishi: Tokyo Institute of Technology
Hao Liu: Chiba University
Alexey A. Polilov: Lomonosov Moscow State University

Nature, 2022, vol. 602, issue 7895, 96-100

Abstract: Abstract Flight speed is positively correlated with body size in animals1. However, miniature featherwing beetles can fly at speeds and accelerations of insects three times their size2. Here we show that this performance results from a reduced wing mass and a previously unknown type of wing-motion cycle. Our experiment combines three-dimensional reconstructions of morphology and kinematics in one of the smallest insects, the beetle Paratuposa placentis (body length 395 μm). The flapping bristled wings follow a pronounced figure-of-eight loop that consists of subperpendicular up and down strokes followed by claps at stroke reversals above and below the body. The elytra act as inertial brakes that prevent excessive body oscillation. Computational analyses suggest functional decomposition of the wingbeat cycle into two power half strokes, which produce a large upward force, and two down-dragging recovery half strokes. In contrast to heavier membranous wings, the motion of bristled wings of the same size requires little inertial power. Muscle mechanical power requirements thus remain positive throughout the wingbeat cycle, making elastic energy storage obsolete. These adaptations help to explain how extremely small insects have preserved good aerial performance during miniaturization, one of the factors of their evolutionary success.

Date: 2022
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DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-04303-7

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