Control of high-speed jumps: the rotation and energetics of the locust (Schistocerca gregaria).

ABSTRACT: Locusts (Schistocerca gregaria) jump using a latch mediated spring actuated system in the femur-tibia joint of their metathoracic legs. These jumps are exceptionally fast and display angular rotation immediately after take-off. In this study, we focus on the angular velocity, at take-off, of locusts ranging between 0.049 and 1.50 g to determine if and how rotation-rate scales with size. From 263 jumps recorded from 44 individuals, we found that angular velocity scales with mass^-0.33, consistent with a hypothesis of locusts having a constant rotational kinetic energy density. Within the data from each locust, angular velocity increased proportionally with linear velocity, suggesting the two cannot be independently controlled and thus a fixed energy budget is formed at take-off. O

SUBMITTER: Goode CK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9992258 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature