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A Wind Tunnel for Odor Mediated Insect Behavioural Assays
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Wind alters landing dynamics in bumblebees.

Jeremy J Chang1, James D Crall2, Stacey A Combes3

  • 1Department of Biology, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, PA 19081, USA Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Concord Field Station, Bedford, MA 01730, USA.

The Journal of Experimental Biology
|July 21, 2016
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Flying insects like bumblebees change their landing approach in wind, flying directly towards flowers instead of smoothly decelerating. This wind-induced change impacts their flight performance.

Keywords:
Animal flightBeeCollision avoidanceInsect flightOptic flowPhysiological ecologyPollinator

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Area of Science:

  • Biomechanics
  • Animal Behavior
  • Aerodynamics

Background:

  • Landing is a critical but understudied behavior for flying animals.
  • Insects typically use a constant image expansion strategy for smooth landings in still air.
  • The effect of challenging flight environments, like wind, on insect landing strategies is largely unknown.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the influence of wind on the landing behavior of bumblebees (Bombus impatiens).
  • To determine if bumblebees maintain their typical smooth deceleration strategy in windy conditions.
  • To explore the implications of wind effects on insect flight and micro aerial vehicle design.

Main Methods:

  • Observed bumblebees landing on flowers in both still air and windy conditions (3.5 m/s headwind).
  • Analyzed changes in approach paths and deceleration profiles.
  • Compared landing strategies under different wind conditions.

Main Results:

  • Bumblebees' approach paths shifted from multidirectional in still air to unidirectional in wind.
  • This directional shift occurred regardless of flower orientation.
  • Bees in headwinds maintained high flight speeds until impact, leading to higher peak decelerations.

Conclusions:

  • Wind significantly alters insect landing behavior and performance.
  • The typical smooth deceleration strategy is abandoned in favor of a high-speed impact approach in windy conditions.
  • Findings are relevant for understanding insect ecomechanics and designing bio-inspired aerial vehicles.