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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 20, 2026

A Simple Flight Mill for the Study of Tethered Flight in Insects
07:42

A Simple Flight Mill for the Study of Tethered Flight in Insects

Published on: December 10, 2015

Flexible clap and fling in tiny insect flight.

Laura A Miller1, Charles S Peskin

  • 1Department of Mathematics, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA. lam9@email.unc.edu

The Journal of Experimental Biology
|September 15, 2009
PubMed
Summary

Tiny insects use a "clap and fling" wing motion for flight. This study reveals this motion requires large forces and is inefficient for small insects, though wing flexibility can improve performance.

Area of Science:

  • Fluid dynamics
  • Biomechanics
  • Insect flight

Background:

  • Many small insects (≤1 mm) utilize a "clap and fling" wing motion during flight.
  • This motion is hypothesized to enhance lift generation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the forces involved in the "clap and fling" motion at low Reynolds numbers.
  • To analyze the efficiency of this motion in tiny insects.
  • To explore the impact of wing flexibility on flight dynamics.

Main Methods:

  • Immersed boundary method simulations were employed.
  • Simulations were conducted for both rigid and flexible wings.

Main Results:

  • Rigid wing "fling" generated drag forces up to 10 times greater than without wing-wing interaction.

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Last Updated: Jun 20, 2026

A Simple Flight Mill for the Study of Tethered Flight in Insects
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Measuring the Flight Ability of the Ambrosia Beetle, Platypus Quercivorus (Murayama), Using a Low-Cost, Small, and Easily Constructed Flight Mill
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  • Horizontal forces from wing strokes canceled, failing to produce thrust.
  • Wing flexibility reduced maximum fling drag by ~50% and improved net lift in some cases.

    • Conclusions:

    • The "clap and fling" motion is likely inefficient for the smallest flying insects due to high force requirements and lack of thrust generation.
    • Wing flexibility can mitigate the negative effects of high drag and potentially improve lift generation.