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Salerno G, Rebora M, Piersanti S, Gorb E, Gorb S. Parasitoid attachment ability and the host surface wettability. ZOOLOGY 2024; 165:126181. [PMID: 38833995 DOI: 10.1016/j.zool.2024.126181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2024] [Revised: 05/28/2024] [Accepted: 05/31/2024] [Indexed: 06/06/2024]
Abstract
Climbing animals such as geckos and arthropods developed astonishing adhesive mechanisms which are fundamental for their survival and represent valuable models for biomimetic purposes. A firm adhesion to the host surface, in order to successfully lay eggs is necessary for the reproduction of most parasitoid insects. In the present study, we performed a comparative investigation on the attachment ability of four parasitoid species (the egg parasitoid Anastatus bifasciatus (Eupelmidae), the aphid parasitoid Aphidius ervi (Braconidae), the fly pupal ectoparasitoid Muscidifurax raptorellus (Pteromalidae) and the pupal parasitoid of Drosophila Trichopria drosophilae (Diapriidae)) with hosts characterized by a surface having different wettability properties. The friction force measurements were performed on smooth artificial (glass) surfaces showing different contact angles of water. We found that attachment systems of parasitoid insects are tuned to match the wettability of the host surface. Sexual dimorphism in the attachment ability of some tested species has been also observed. The obtained results are probably related to different microstructure and chemical composition of the host surfaces and to different chemical composition of the parasitoid adhesive fluid. The data here presented can be interpreted as an adaptation, especially in the female, to the physicochemical properties of the host surface and contribute to shed light on the coevolutionary processes of parasitoid insects and their hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gianandrea Salerno
- Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie, Alimentari e Ambientali, University of Perugia, Borgo XX Giugno 74, Perugia 06121, Italy
| | - Manuela Rebora
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Biologia e Biotecnologie, University of Perugia, Via Elce di Sotto 8, Perugia 06121, Italy.
| | - Silvana Piersanti
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Biologia e Biotecnologie, University of Perugia, Via Elce di Sotto 8, Perugia 06121, Italy
| | - Elena Gorb
- Department of Functional Morphology and Biomechanics, Zoological Institute, Kiel University, Am Botanischen Garten 9, Kiel 24098, Germany
| | - Stanislav Gorb
- Department of Functional Morphology and Biomechanics, Zoological Institute, Kiel University, Am Botanischen Garten 9, Kiel 24098, Germany
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Ortega-Jimenez VM, Jusufi A, Brown CE, Zeng Y, Kumar S, Siddall R, Kim B, Challita EJ, Pavlik Z, Priess M, Umhofer T, Koh JS, Socha JJ, Dudley R, Bhamla MS. Air-to-land transitions: from wingless animals and plant seeds to shuttlecocks and bio-inspired robots. BIOINSPIRATION & BIOMIMETICS 2023; 18:051001. [PMID: 37552773 DOI: 10.1088/1748-3190/acdb1c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023]
Abstract
Recent observations of wingless animals, including jumping nematodes, springtails, insects, and wingless vertebrates like geckos, snakes, and salamanders, have shown that their adaptations and body morphing are essential for rapid self-righting and controlled landing. These skills can reduce the risk of physical damage during collision, minimize recoil during landing, and allow for a quick escape response to minimize predation risk. The size, mass distribution, and speed of an animal determine its self-righting method, with larger animals depending on the conservation of angular momentum and smaller animals primarily using aerodynamic forces. Many animals falling through the air, from nematodes to salamanders, adopt a skydiving posture while descending. Similarly, plant seeds such as dandelions and samaras are able to turn upright in mid-air using aerodynamic forces and produce high decelerations. These aerial capabilities allow for a wide dispersal range, low-impact collisions, and effective landing and settling. Recently, small robots that can right themselves for controlled landings have been designed based on principles of aerial maneuvering in animals. Further research into the effects of unsteady flows on self-righting and landing in small arthropods, particularly those exhibiting explosive catapulting, could reveal how morphological features, flow dynamics, and physical mechanisms contribute to effective mid-air control. More broadly, studying apterygote (wingless insects) landing could also provide insight into the origin of insect flight. These research efforts have the potential to lead to the bio-inspired design of aerial micro-vehicles, sports projectiles, parachutes, and impulsive robots that can land upright in unsteady flow conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor M Ortega-Jimenez
- School of Biology and Ecology, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469, United States of America
| | - Ardian Jusufi
- Soft Kinetic Group, Engineering Sciences Department, Empa Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Ueberlandstrasse 129, Dübendorf 8600, Switzerland
- University of Zurich, Institutes for Neuroinformatics and Palaeontology, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zurich 8057, Switzerland
- Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Christian E Brown
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of South Florida, 4202 East Fowler Avenue, Science Center 110, Tampa, FL 33620, United States of America
| | - Yu Zeng
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of South Florida, 4202 East Fowler Avenue, Science Center 110, Tampa, FL 33620, United States of America
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States of America
| | - Sunny Kumar
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30318, United States of America
| | - Robert Siddall
- Aerial Robotics Lab, Imperial College of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Baekgyeom Kim
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Ajou University, Gyeonggi-do 16499, Republic of Korea
| | - Elio J Challita
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30318, United States of America
| | - Zoe Pavlik
- School of Biology and Ecology, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469, United States of America
| | - Meredith Priess
- School of Biology and Ecology, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469, United States of America
| | - Thomas Umhofer
- School of Biology and Ecology, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469, United States of America
| | - Je-Sung Koh
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Ajou University, Gyeonggi-do 16499, Republic of Korea
| | - John J Socha
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States of America
| | - Robert Dudley
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of South Florida, 4202 East Fowler Avenue, Science Center 110, Tampa, FL 33620, United States of America
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Panama
| | - M Saad Bhamla
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30318, United States of America
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Matsumura Y, Gorb EV, Gorb SN. The tight attachment achieved by the male discoidal setae is possibly a counter-adaptation to the grease layer on female integument surfaces in green dock beetles. J R Soc Interface 2023; 20:20230324. [PMID: 37582406 PMCID: PMC10427193 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2023.0324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Green dock beetles Gastrophysa viridula exhibit sexual dimorphism in tarsal attachment setae: females have only pointed, lanceolate and spatula-like setae, while males additionally possess discoidal ones. The sexual dimorphism is probably attributed to the necessity of male discoidal setae to adhere to the smooth back of the female during copulation. We aimed to understand its possible mechanism of attachment with G. viridula. Pull-off forces of both females and males were measured on (i) alive females, (ii) dead and dried females, and (iii) resin replicas of fresh females. The attachment ability tended to increase on dead and replicated female surfaces in both sexes, which indicates that the epicuticular grease layer on the integument of alive intact beetles decreases the attachment. This tendency was prominent in females. The present study clearly showed that in G. viridula discoidal setae enable the males to adhere stronger to female surfaces. The divergent performance found between the sexes differing in their setal composition is probably caused by the stiffness difference between the setae types and by the specific shape of the setal tips. A peculiar reproductive biology in G. viridula is probably attributed to this remarkable divergence of labour in their attachment pads between the sexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoko Matsumura
- Department of Functional Morphology and Biomechanics, Zoological Institute, Kiel University, Am Botanischen Garten 9, 24118 Kiel, Germany
- Department of Systematic Entomology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Hokkaido University, 060-8589 Sapporo, Japan
| | - Elena V. Gorb
- Department of Functional Morphology and Biomechanics, Zoological Institute, Kiel University, Am Botanischen Garten 9, 24118 Kiel, Germany
| | - Stanislav N. Gorb
- Department of Functional Morphology and Biomechanics, Zoological Institute, Kiel University, Am Botanischen Garten 9, 24118 Kiel, Germany
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Saitta V, Rebora M, Piersanti S, Gorb E, Gorb S, Salerno G. Effect of Leaf Trichomes in Different Species of Cucurbitaceae on Attachment Ability of the Melon Ladybird Beetle Chnootriba elaterii. INSECTS 2022; 13:1123. [PMID: 36555032 PMCID: PMC9787368 DOI: 10.3390/insects13121123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2022] [Revised: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 12/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
This study investigates the attachment ability of the oligophagous melon ladybird beetle Chnootriba elaterii to leaves of several Cucurbitaceae species. Using cryo-SEM, we described adult and larva tarsal attachment devices and leaf surface structures (glandular and non-glandular trichomes) in Citrullus lanatus, Cucumis melo, Cucumis sativus, Cucurbita moschata, Cucurbita pepo, Ecballium elaterium, Lagenaria siceraria and Luffa aegyptiaca. Using traction force experiments and centrifugal force tests, we measured the friction force exerted by females and larvae on plant leaves. We observed that Cucurbitaceae glandular trichomes do not affect insect attachment ability at both developmental stages, suggesting some adaptation of C. elaterii to its host plants, while non-glandular trichomes, when they are dense, short and flexible, heavily reduce the attachment ability of both insect stages. When trichomes are dense but stiff, only the larval force is reduced, probably because the larva has a single claw, in contrast to the adult having paired bifid dentate claws. The data on the mechanical interaction of C. elaterii at different developmental stages with different Cucurbitaceae species, combined with data on the chemical cues involved in the host plant selection, can help to unravel the complex factors driving the coevolution between an oligophagous insect and its host plant species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valerio Saitta
- Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie, Alimentari e Ambientali, University of Perugia, Borgo XX Giugno 74, 06121 Perugia, Italy
| | - Manuela Rebora
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Biologia e Biotecnologie, University of Perugia, Via Elce di Sotto 8, 06121 Perugia, Italy
| | - Silvana Piersanti
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Biologia e Biotecnologie, University of Perugia, Via Elce di Sotto 8, 06121 Perugia, Italy
| | - Elena Gorb
- Department of Functional Morphology and Biomechanics, Zoological Institute, Kiel University, Am Botanischen Garten 9, 24098 Kiel, Germany
| | - Stanislav Gorb
- Department of Functional Morphology and Biomechanics, Zoological Institute, Kiel University, Am Botanischen Garten 9, 24098 Kiel, Germany
| | - Gianandrea Salerno
- Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie, Alimentari e Ambientali, University of Perugia, Borgo XX Giugno 74, 06121 Perugia, Italy
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Gaenshirt P, Beyrich M, Betz O. Biological aspects of the larva of Sepedophilus testaceus (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae, Tachyporinae): morphology of the posterior abdomen and prey-capture behaviour. J NAT HIST 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2021.1983062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Pirmin Gaenshirt
- Evolutionary Biology of Invertebrates, Institute of Evolution and Ecology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Moritz Beyrich
- Evolutionary Biology of Invertebrates, Institute of Evolution and Ecology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Oliver Betz
- Evolutionary Biology of Invertebrates, Institute of Evolution and Ecology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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Tardigrades exhibit robust interlimb coordination across walking speeds and terrains. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2107289118. [PMID: 34446560 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2107289118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Tardigrades must negotiate heterogeneous, fluctuating environments and accordingly utilize locomotive strategies capable of dealing with variable terrain. We analyze the kinematics and interleg coordination of freely walking tardigrades (species: Hypsibius exemplaris). We find that tardigrade walking replicates several key features of walking in insects despite disparities in size, skeleton, and habitat. To test the effect of environmental changes on tardigrade locomotor control circuits we measure kinematics and interleg coordination during walking on two substrates of different stiffnesses. We find that the phase offset between contralateral leg pairs is flexible, while ipsilateral coordination is preserved across environmental conditions. This mirrors similar results in insects and crustaceans. We propose that these functional similarities in walking coordination between tardigrades and arthropods is either due to a generalized locomotor control circuit common to panarthropods or to independent convergence onto an optimal strategy for robust multilegged control in small animals with simple circuitry. Our results highlight the value of tardigrades as a comparative system toward understanding the mechanisms-neural and/or mechanical-underlying coordination in panarthropod locomotion.
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Büscher TH, Gorb SN. Physical constraints lead to parallel evolution of micro- and nanostructures of animal adhesive pads: a review. BEILSTEIN JOURNAL OF NANOTECHNOLOGY 2021; 12:725-743. [PMID: 34354900 PMCID: PMC8290099 DOI: 10.3762/bjnano.12.57] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2021] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Adhesive pads are functional systems with specific micro- and nanostructures which evolved as a response to specific environmental conditions and therefore exhibit convergent traits. The functional constraints that shape systems for the attachment to a surface are general requirements. Different strategies to solve similar problems often follow similar physical principles, hence, the morphology of attachment devices is affected by physical constraints. This resulted in two main types of attachment devices in animals: hairy and smooth. They differ in morphology and ultrastructure but achieve mechanical adaptation to substrates with different roughness and maximise the actual contact area with them. Species-specific environmental surface conditions resulted in different solutions for the specific ecological surroundings of different animals. As the conditions are similar in discrete environments unrelated to the group of animals, the micro- and nanostructural adaptations of the attachment systems of different animal groups reveal similar mechanisms. Consequently, similar attachment organs evolved in a convergent manner and different attachment solutions can occur within closely related lineages. In this review, we present a summary of the literature on structural and functional principles of attachment pads with a special focus on insects, describe micro- and nanostructures, surface patterns, origin of different pads and their evolution, discuss the material properties (elasticity, viscoelasticity, adhesion, friction) and basic physical forces contributing to adhesion, show the influence of different factors, such as substrate roughness and pad stiffness, on contact forces, and review the chemical composition of pad fluids, which is an important component of an adhesive function. Attachment systems are omnipresent in animals. We show parallel evolution of attachment structures on micro- and nanoscales at different phylogenetic levels, focus on insects as the largest animal group on earth, and subsequently zoom into the attachment pads of the stick and leaf insects (Phasmatodea) to explore convergent evolution of attachment pads at even smaller scales. Since convergent events might be potentially interesting for engineers as a kind of optimal solution by nature, the biomimetic implications of the discussed results are briefly presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thies H Büscher
- Department of Functional Morphology and Biomechanics, Institute of Zoology, Kiel University, Am Botanischen Garten 9, 24118 Kiel, Germany
| | - Stanislav N Gorb
- Department of Functional Morphology and Biomechanics, Institute of Zoology, Kiel University, Am Botanischen Garten 9, 24118 Kiel, Germany
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Erramilli S, Genzer J. Influence of surface topography attributes on settlement and adhesion of natural and synthetic species. SOFT MATTER 2019; 15:4045-4067. [PMID: 31066434 DOI: 10.1039/c9sm00527g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Surface topographies of various sizes, shapes, and spatial organization abound in nature. They endow properties such as super-hydrophobicity, reversible adhesion, anti-fouling, self-cleaning, anti-glare, and anti-bacterial, just to mention a few. Researchers have long attempted to replicate these structures to create artificial surfaces with the functionalities found in nature. In this review, we decompose the attributes of surface topographies into their constituents, namely feature dimensions, geometry, and stiffness, and examine how they contribute (individually or collectively) to settlement and adhesion of natural organisms and synthetic particles on the surface. The size of features that comprise the topography affects the contact area between the particle and surface as well as its adhesion and contributes to the observed adsorptive properties of the surface. The geometry of surface perturbations can also affect the contact area and gives rise to anisotropic particle settlement. Surface topography also affects the local stiffness of the surface and governs the adhesion strength on the surface. Overall, systematically studying attributes of surface topography and elucidating how each of them affects adhesion and settlement of particles will facilitate the design of topographically-corrugated surfaces with desired adsorption characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shreya Erramilli
- Department of Materials Science & Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
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Schnee L, Sampalla B, Müller JK, Betz O. A comparison of tarsal morphology and traction force in the two burying beetles Nicrophorus nepalensis and Nicrophorus vespilloides (Coleoptera, Silphidae). BEILSTEIN JOURNAL OF NANOTECHNOLOGY 2019; 10:47-61. [PMID: 30680278 PMCID: PMC6334798 DOI: 10.3762/bjnano.10.5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2018] [Accepted: 12/05/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Our aim was to compare friction and traction forces between two burying beetle species of the genus Nicrophorus exhibiting different attachment abilities during climbing. Specifically, the interaction of adhesive hairs and claws during attachment with respect to various surface properties was investigated by using a 2 × 3 experimental design. Traction force was measured for two different surface energies (hydrophilic vs hydrophobic) varying in roughness from smooth to micro-rough to rough. Nanotribometric tests on single legs were also performed. The external morphology of the attachment devices investigated by scanning electron microscopy suggested higher intra-specific (intersexual) than inter-specific differences. Whereas differences between the two species in traction force were high on smooth surfaces, no differences could be detected between males and females within each species. With claws intact, both species showed the highest forces on rough surfaces, although N. nepalensis with clipped claws performed best on a smooth surface. However, N. nepalensis beetles outperformed N. vespilloides, which showed no differences between smooth and rough surfaces with clipped claws. Both species demonstrated poor traction forces on micro-rough surfaces. Results concerning the impact of surface polarity were inconclusive, whereas roughness more strongly affected the attachment performance in both species. Nanotribometric analyses of the fore tarsi performed on micro-rough and rough surfaces revealed higher friction in the proximal (pull) direction compared with the distal (push) direction. In these experiments, we detected neither differences in friction performance between the two species, nor clear trends concerning the influence of surface polarity. We conclude that the investigated morphological traits are not critical for the observed interspecific difference in attachment ability on smooth surfaces. Furthermore, interspecific differences in performance are only clear on smooth surfaces and vanish on micro-rough and rough surfaces. Our results suggest that even subtle differences in the adhesion-mediating secretion in closely related species might result in qualitative performance shifts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liesa Schnee
- Institut für Evolution und Ökologie, Evolutionsbiologie der Invertebraten, Universität Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 28E, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Benjamin Sampalla
- Institut für Evolution und Ökologie, Evolutionsbiologie der Invertebraten, Universität Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 28E, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Josef K Müller
- Institut für Biologie I, Evolutionsbiologie & Ökologie, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Hauptstr.1, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Oliver Betz
- Institut für Evolution und Ökologie, Evolutionsbiologie der Invertebraten, Universität Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 28E, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
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Salerno G, Rebora M, Kovalev A, Gorb E, Gorb S. Contribution of different tarsal attachment devices to the overall attachment ability of the stink bug Nezara viridula. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2018; 204:627-638. [DOI: 10.1007/s00359-018-1266-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2018] [Revised: 04/19/2018] [Accepted: 05/10/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Flammang
- Biology of Marine Organisms and Biomimetics, Research Institute for Biosciences, University of Mons—UMONS, 23 Place du Parc, Mons 7000, Belgium
| | - Romana Santos
- Unidade de Investigação em Ciências Orais e Biomédicas, Faculdade de Medicina Dentária, Universidade de Lisboa, Cidade Universitária, Lisboa 1649-003, Portugal
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