Biomechanics and ontogeny of gliding in wingless stick insect nymphs (Extatosoma tiaratum).

ABSTRACT: Many wingless arboreal arthropods can glide back to tree trunks following free falls. However, little is known about the behaviors and aerodynamics underlying such aerial performance, and how this may be influenced by body size. Here, we studied gliding performance by nymphs of the stick insect Extatosoma tiaratum, focusing on the dynamics of J-shaped trajectories and how gliding capability changes during ontogeny. After being dropped 40 cm horizontally from a visual target, the first-instar nymphs landed on the target within 1.1 s. After reaching terminal speed (at ∼0.25 s), they initiated gliding with significant horizontal force, during which the overall lift-to-drag ratio increased from 0.16 to 0.48. This transition from parachuting to gliding is characterized by a damped oscillation i

SUBMITTER: Zeng Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11698037 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature