How do Insects Wing It?
Author: Jacqueline Yap Abstract: Intrigued by the delicate structure of the iridescent insect wings, I wanted to find out how much an insect’s membranous wing weigh. Investigating the wing is important as the success of insects as terrestrial animals is due to their ability to fly. I approached the problem by reading studies done on insect flight, and came across a link between asynchronous muscle contractions and the wingbeat oscillations. Asynchronous muscles are unique, as each contraction is not dependent on a neural impulse; instead, they are controlled by the muscle itself which has the intrinsic ability to oscillate, the elasticity of the thorax, and wing oscillations. I calculated the wing mass of the bumblebee Bombus terrestris by modeling the asynchronous muscle and wing into a mass spring oscillator. The bumblebee wing mass was found to be 170 mg.
