Summary Shedding of vortices is a common phenomenon in the atmosphere over wide range spatial and temporal scales. However, it unclear how these varying scales affect flight performance flying animals. In order to examine interactions we trained seven hawkmoths (Manduca sexta) (wingspan ~9 cm) fly feed wind tunnel under steady flow (controls) Von Kármán vortex street vertically oriented cylinders (two different with diameters 10 5 at speeds 0.5, 1 2 ms-1. Cylinders were placed distances 5,...

Animal fliers frequently move through a variety of perturbed flows during their daily aerial routines. However, the extent to which these perturbations influence flight control and energetic expenditure is essentially unknown. Here, we evaluate kinematic metabolic consequences within variably sized vortex shedding using five Anna's hummingbirds feeding from an artificial flower in steady flow wakes produced behind vertical cylinders. Tests were conducted at three horizontal airspeeds (3, 6 9...

Springtails (Collembola) have been traditionally portrayed as explosive jumpers with incipient directional takeoff and uncontrolled landing. However, for these collembolans that live near the water, such skills are crucial evading a host of voracious aquatic terrestrial predators. We discover semiaquatic springtails, Isotomurus retardatus, can perform jumps, rapid aerial righting, near-perfect landing on water surface. They achieve locomotive controls by adjusting their body attitude impulse...

Capture success of spider webs has been associated with their microstructure, ornamentation and wind-induced vibrations. Indirect evidence suggests that statically charged objects can attract silk thread, but web deformations induced by insects have not yet described. Here, we show under laboratory conditions electrostatically honeybees, green bottle flies, fruit aphids also water drops falling near cross-spiders (Araneus diadematus) induce rapid thread deformation enhances the likelihood...

Flight in rain represents a greater challenge for smaller animals because the relative effects of water loading and drop impact are at reduced scales given increased ratios surface area to mass. Nevertheless, it is well known that small volant taxa such as hummingbirds can continue foraging even extreme precipitation. Here, we evaluated effect four intensities (i.e. zero, light, moderate heavy) on hovering performance Anna's ( Calypte anna ) under laboratory conditions. Light-to-moderate had...

Hummingbirds are specialized hoverers for which the vortex wake has been described as a series of single rings shed primarily during downstroke. Recent findings in bats and birds, well recent study on Anna's hummingbirds, suggest that each wing may discrete ring, yielding bilaterally paired wake. Here, we describe presence two hovering also infer force production through wingbeat with contributions to weight support. Using flow visualization, found separate vortices at tip root wing, 15%...

Vertical vortex systems such as tornadoes dramatically affect the flight control and stability of aircraft. However, implications smaller scale vertically oriented for small fliers animals or micro-air vehicles are unknown. Here we examined flapping kinematics body dynamics hawkmoths performing hovering flights (controls) maintaining position in three different whirlwind intensities with transverse horizontal velocities 0.7, 0.9 1.2 m s(-1), respectively, generated a chamber. The average...

Jumping can be hazardous for entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) as those that fail to attach an insect host face death by predation or starvation. Recently, it has been shown electrostatic charges on large insects prompt a close-range detachment of free-living nematodes, which are non-parasitic and unable jump. However, remains unclear if static electricity influence aerial interactions between parasitic jumping worms their hosts. Here we analyze model the trajectories EPNs in still air they...

Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) exhibit a bending-elastic instability, or kink, before becoming airborne, feature previously hypothesized but not substantiated to enhance jumping performance. Here, we provide the evidence that this kink is crucial for improving launch We demonstrate EPNs actively modulate their aspect ratio, forming liquid-latched α-shaped loop over slow timescale <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" overflow="scroll"> <mml:mrow>...

Flamingos feature one of the most sophisticated filter-feeding systems among birds, characterized by upside-down feeding, comb-like lamellae, and a piston-like tongue. However, hydrodynamic functions their L-shaped chattering beak, S-curved neck, distinct behaviors such as stomping feeding against flow remain mystery. Combining live flamingo experiments with brine shrimp passive particles, bioinspired physical models, 3D CFD simulations, we show that flamingos generate self-induced vortical...

Aerodynamic performance and energetic savings for flight in ground effect are theoretically maximized during hovering, but have never been directly measured flying animals. We evaluated kinematics, metabolic rates induced flow velocities Anna's hummingbirds hovering at heights (relative to wing length R = 5.5 cm) of 0.7 , 0.9 1.1 1.7 2.2 8 above a solid surface. Flight less than or equal resulted significant reductions the body angle, tail anatomical stroke plane wake-induced velocity,...

Electrostatic phenomena are known to enhance both wind- and insect-mediated pollination, but have not yet been described for nectar-feeding vertebrates. Here we demonstrate that wild Anna's Hummingbirds (Calypte anna) can carry positive charges up 800 pC while in flight (mean ± s.d.: 66 129 pC). Triboelectric charging obtained by rubbing an isolated hummingbird wing against various plant structures generated 700 pC. A metal model charged 400 induced bending of floral stamens four plants...

Rapid turning and swimming contribute to ecologically important behaviors in fishes such as predator avoidance, prey capture, mating the navigation of complex environments. For riverine species, knifefishes, may also be for navigating locomotive perturbations caused by turbulent flows. Most research on fish maneuvering focuses with traditional fin body morphologies, which primarily use bending pectoral fins during turning. However, it is uncertain how uncommon morphologies are able achieve...

External wetting poses problems of immediate heat loss and long-term pathogen growth for vertebrates. Beyond these risks, the locomotor ability smaller animals, particularly fliers, may be impaired by water adhering to body. Here, we report on remarkable hummingbirds perform rapid shakes in order expel from their plumage even while flight. Kinematic performance aerial versus non-aerial (i.e. those performed perching) was compared. Oscillation frequencies head, body tail were lower shakes....

ABSTRACT Neotropical freshwater fishes such as knifefishes are commonly faced with navigating intense and highly unsteady streams. However, our knowledge on locomotion in apteronotids comes from laminar flows, where the ribbon fin dominates over pectoral fins or body bending. Here, we studied 3D kinematics swimming control of seven black ghost knifefish (Apteronotus albifrons) moving flows (flow speed U∞≈1–5 BL s−1) periodic vortex streets (U∞≈2–4 s−1). Two different cylinders (∼2 ∼3 cm...

The agile and power-efficient locomotion of a water strider has inspired many water-walking devices. These bioinspired robots generally adopt DC motor to create sculling trajectory the driving leg. are, thus, inevitably heavy with supporting legs decreasing velocity robots. There have only been few attempts employ smart materials despite their advantages being lightweight having high power densities. This paper proposes an artificial muscle-based robot capable moving forward turning four...

Surface roughness is a ubiquitous phenomenon in both oceanic and terrestrial waters. For insects that live at the air-water interface, such as water striders, non-linear multi-scale perturbations produce dynamic surface deformations which may impair locomotion. We studied escape jumps of adults, juveniles first-instar larvae strider Aquarius remigis on smooth, wave-dominated bubble-dominated surfaces. Effects substrate takeoff were substantial, with significant reductions angles, peak...

Turbulent flows associated with thermal convection are common in areas where the ground is heated by solar radiation, fermentation or other processes. However, it unknown how these flow instabilities affect locomotion of small insects, like fruit flies, that inhabit deserts and urban landscapes surface temperatures can reach extreme values. We quantified flight performance flies (Drosophila melanogaster) traversing a chamber through still air turbulent Rayleigh-Bénard cells produced vertical...

Autorotation of botanical samaras, with a consequent reduction in their rate descent, increases dispersal range the presence horizontal winds. Samaras initial free fall from rest pass through brief transitional phase prior to reaching minimum descent and stable autorotation. By contrast, intense wind gusts elastic recoil tree branches can produce impulsive samara detachment accelerate them rapidly air. Here, we investigate autorotation maple samaras when launched high impulse. Norway seeds...

While diving, small alcids appear wet, suggesting that their feathers repel water poorly. Nevertheless, once plumage resists penetration effectively. This study's objective was to evaluate the effect of feather wetting on critical pressure air (maximum for resistance penetration, Pa) and (Pw). We measured these values in breast Xantus's Murrelet (Synthliboramphus hypoleucus) Cassin's Auklet (Ptychoramphus aleuticus) under two conditions : dry (feathers with separated barbs) wet one side...

Birds at-sea increase body mass as a consequence of food consumption and plumage wettability. However, little is known about the effect maximum extra load on takeoff aquatic birds. Experimental evaluation load-lift during was performed wing-propelled diver with high wing loading, Cassin's Auklet Ptychoramphus aleuticus, surface feeder low Leach's Storm-Petrel Oceanodroma leucorhoa. supported 45% its mass, that 25%. The relation maximal to transport wettability indicates storm-petrel alcid...

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