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McDonald CL, Alcalde GT, Jones TC, Laude RAP, Yap SA, Bhamla MS. Wax "tails" enable planthopper nymphs to self-right midair and land on their feet. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.15.589523. [PMID: 38659822 PMCID: PMC11042284 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.15.589523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
The striking appearance of wax 'tails' - posterior wax projections on planthopper nymphs - has captivated entomologists and naturalists alike. Despite their intriguing presence, the functional roles of these structures remain largely unexplored. This study leverages high-speed imaging to uncover the biomechanical implications of these wax formations in the aerial dynamics of planthopper nymphs (Ricania sp.). We quantitatively demonstrate that removing wax tails significantly increases body rotations during jumps. Specifically, nymphs without wax projections undergo continuous rotations, averaging 4.3 ± 1.9 per jump, in contrast to wax-intact nymphs, who narrowly complete a full rotation, averaging only 0.7 ± 0.2 per jump. This suggests that wax structures effectively counteract rotation through aerodynamic drag forces. These stark differences in body rotation correlate with landing success: nymphs with wax intact achieve a near perfect landing rate of 98.5%, while those without wax manage only a 35.5% success rate. Jump trajectory analysis reveals transitions from parabolic to Tartaglia shapes at higher take-off velocities for wax-intact nymphs, illustrating how wax structures assist nymphs in achieving stable, controlled descents. Our findings confirm the aerodynamic self-righting functionality of wax tails in stabilizing planthopper landings, advancing our understanding of the complex interplay between wax morphology and aerial maneuverability, with broader implications for the evolution of flight in wingless insects and bioinspired robotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina L. McDonald
- George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Gerwin T. Alcalde
- Institute of Weed Science, Entomology, and Plant Pathology, College of Agriculture and Food Science, University of the Philippines Los Baños, College, Laguna, 4031, Philippines
- Department of Entomology, College of Agriculture, University of Southern Mindanao, Kabacan Cotabato, Philippines
| | - Thomas C. Jones
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, United States
| | - Ruby Ana P. Laude
- Institute of Weed Science, Entomology, and Plant Pathology, College of Agriculture and Food Science, University of the Philippines Los Baños, College, Laguna, 4031, Philippines
| | - Sheryl A. Yap
- Institute of Weed Science, Entomology, and Plant Pathology, College of Agriculture and Food Science, University of the Philippines Los Baños, College, Laguna, 4031, Philippines
| | - M. Saad Bhamla
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, United States
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Jarčuška B, Krištín A, Kaňuch P. Body size traits in the flightless bush-cricket are plastic rather than locally adapted along an elevational gradient. Evol Ecol 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s10682-023-10231-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/21/2023]
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Kelly CD. Can Patterns of Static Allometry be Inferred from Regimes of Sexual Selection in the Japanese Beetle? Evol Biol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s11692-022-09577-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Cepeda D, Álamo D, Sánchez N, Pardos F. Allometric growth in meiofaunal invertebrates: do all kinorhynchs show homogeneous trends? Zool J Linn Soc 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlz083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Allometry determines relevant modifications in metazoan morphology and biology and is affected by many different factors, such as ontogenetic constraints and natural selection. A linear mixed model approach and reduced major axis regression were used to explore evolutionary interspecific allometric trends between the total trunk length and the lengths of the segments and spines in the phylum Kinorhyncha at three taxonomic levels: the whole phylum, the class and the family. Statistically significant results were found in all the trunk segments, meaning that these body units grow proportionally correlated with the body, contrary to the results obtained for the spines. Developmental and morphophysiological constraints could lead to negative allometry in the first and last segments, because these body regions in kinorhynchs are essential to the implementation of some of the main biological functions, such as feeding and locomotion. The differential arrangement of cuticular appendages between the taxonomic groups considered seems to cause different evolutionary trends, because positive allometry may appear if a segment requires more space to accommodate a large number of organs and appendages, and vice versa. The presence of sexual dimorphism could also define positive allometry of a segment, owing to the need to harbour the sexually dimorphic appendages and their associated structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego Cepeda
- Department of Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain
| | - David Álamo
- Department of Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain
| | - Nuria Sánchez
- Department of Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain
| | - Fernando Pardos
- Department of Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain
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