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Wing‐to‐wing coupling mechanisms synchronize motions of insect wings and minimize their aerodynamic interference. Albeit they share the same function, their morphological traits appreciably vary across groups. Here the structure–material–function relationship of wing couplings of nine castes and species of Hymenoptera is investigated. It is shown that the springiness, robustness, and asymmetric behavior augment the functionality of the coupling by reducing stress concentrations and minimizing the impacts of excessive flight forces. A quantitative link is established between morphological variants of the coupling mechanisms and forces to which they are subjected. Inspired by the coupling mechanisms, a rotating‐sliding mechanical joint that withstands tension and compression and can also be locked/unlocked is fabricated. This is the first biomimetic research of this type that integrates approaches from biology and engineering.

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In article number 2004383, Hamed Rajabi and co-workers investigate the wing-to-wing coupling of nine castes and species of bees and wasps. They showed that the diverse morphologies of the coupling mechanisms in the examined insects can be linked to forces to which the couplings are subjected. The researchers design and fabricate multi-degreeof-freedom bee-inspired joints that can be used in everyday life applications, for example in cartridge razors.

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