The rigidizable behavior of the deployable hindwings of the Asian ladybeetle during flight

2021 
Deployable hindwings support the excellent flight performance of Coleoptera during flapping flight, exhibiting rigidizable behavior without refolding during flight. This paper investigates the inner structure of the veins of the Asian ladybird beetle (Harmonia axyridis) hindwing by histological sections and inverted fluorescence microscopy. Considering the hollow and solid structures of the veins and the wing membrane, two three-dimensional (3-D) models of the right hindwings are established for comparison: Model I with a solid C + ScA vein and Model II with a hollow C + ScA vein, and the other veins are solid. The relationships among the attack angles (− 60°, − 30°, 0°, 30° and 60°), locations at which the pressure is set and bending deformation tendencies of the two models are discussed. These related data are obtained by simulation. The results demonstrate that the hollow structures of the veins have a higher flexibility and self-adaption deformation than those of the solid veins, and sinusoidal relationships are observed between the resulting deformations and attack angles. The relationship between the rigidizable behavior of deployable hindwings and vein structure is discussed.
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