Defense by foot adhesion in a beetle (
            <i>Hemisphaerota cyanea</i>
            )

Eisner, Thomas; Aneshansley, Daniel J.

doi:10.1073/pnas.97.12.6568

Cited by 284 publications

(205 citation statements)

References 10 publications

(11 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

201

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…It is clear that the elasticity of the substrate is relevant to understand some of these phenomena, including the clumping of the flexible bristles of tarsi of insects when tarsal oil is released (Eisner & Aneshansley 2000) or the adhesive failure (stiction) of micro-cantilevers bent by capillary forces at the evaporating menisci (Mastrangelo & Hsu 1993). Although static problems involving the interplay between capillarity, elasticity, and possibly other forces are well studied, there are very few studies of the dynamics of elastocapillarity, which is the subject of this paper.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dynamics of elastocapillary rise

2011

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

We present the results of a combined experimental and theoretical investigation of the surface-tension-driven coalescence of flexible structures. Specifically, we consider the dynamics of the rise of a wetting liquid between flexible sheets that are clamped at their upper ends. As the elasticity of the sheets is progressively increased, we observe a systematic deviation from the classical diffusive-like behaviour: the time to reach equilibrium increases dramatically and the departure from classical rise occurs sooner, trends that we elucidate via scaling analyses. Three distinct temporal regimes are identified and subsequently explored by developing a theoretical model based on lubrication theory and the linear theory of plates. The resulting free-boundary problem is solved numerically and good agreement is obtained with experiments.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dynamics of elastocapillary rise

2011

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…These structures were previously studied by scanning and transmission electron microscopy [2,3], and their adhesive forces were measured using force transducers [4]. Beetle adhesive setae are supplemented with a liquid secretion that is responsible for generating capillary forces on various surfaces [5,6]. Earlier studies have demonstrated that beetle pads adhere well to dry substrates [1,4].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Underwater locomotion in a terrestrial beetle: combination of surface de-wetting and capillary forces

Hosoda

Gorb

2012

Proc. R. Soc. B.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

For the first time, we report the remarkable ability of the terrestrial leaf beetle Gastrophysa viridula to walk on solid substrates under water. These beetles have adhesive setae on their feet that produce a secretory fluid having a crucial role in adhesion on land. In air, adhesion is produced by capillary forces between the fluid-covered setae and the substrate. In general, capillary forces do not contribute to adhesion under water. However, our observations showed that these beetles may use air bubbles trapped between their adhesive setae to walk on flooded, inclined substrata or even under water. Beetle adhesion to hydrophilic surfaces under water was lower than that in air, whereas adhesion to hydrophobic surfaces under water was comparable to that in air. Oil-covered hairy pads had a pinning effect, retaining the air bubbles on their feet. Bubbles in contact with the hydrophobic substrate de-wetted the substrate and produced capillary adhesion. Additional capillary forces are generated by the pad's liquid bridges between the foot and the substrate. Inspired by this idea, we designed an artificial silicone polymer structure with underwater adhesive properties.

show abstract

“…If required, some insects can produce impressive forces, exceeding many times their body weight [1][2][3]. However, during locomotion, their feet have to be able to attach and detach rapidly.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rapid preflexes in smooth adhesive pads of insects prevent sudden detachment

Endlein

Federle

2013

Proc. R. Soc. B.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Many insects possess adhesive organs that can produce extreme attachment forces of more than 100 times body weight but they can rapidly release adhesion to allow locomotion. During walking, weaver ants (Oecophylla smaragdina) use only a fraction of their maximally available contact area, even upside-down on a smooth surface. To test whether the reduced contact area makes the ants more susceptible to sudden and unexpected detachment forces, for example, by rain or wind gusts, we investigated the reaction of untethered ants to rapid horizontal displacements of the substrate. Highspeed video recordings revealed that the pad's contact area could more than double within the first millisecond after the perturbation. This contact area expansion is much faster than any neuromuscular reflex and therefore represents a passive 'preflex', resulting from the mechanical properties and geometrical arrangement of the (pre-)tarsus. This preflex reaction protects ants effectively against unexpected detachment, and allows them to use less contact area during locomotion. Contact area expanded most strongly when the substrate displacement generated a pull along the axis of the tarsus, showing that the ants' preflex is direction-dependent. The preflex may be based on the ability of Hymenopteran adhesive pads to unfold when pulled towards the body. We tested Indian stick insects (Carausius morosus), which have smooth pads that lack this motility. Similar to the ants, they showed a rapid and direction-dependent expansion of the contact area mainly in the lateral direction. We propose that the preflex reaction in stick insects is based on the reorientation of internal cuticle fibrils in a constant-volume system, whereas the ants' pad cuticle is probably not a hydrostat, and pad extension is achieved by the arcus, an endoscelerite of the arolium.

show abstract

Defense by foot adhesion in a beetle ( Hemisphaerota cyanea )

Cited by 284 publications

References 10 publications

Dynamics of elastocapillary rise

Dynamics of elastocapillary rise

Underwater locomotion in a terrestrial beetle: combination of surface de-wetting and capillary forces

Rapid preflexes in smooth adhesive pads of insects prevent sudden detachment

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About