Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Actin Treadmilling01:18

Actin Treadmilling

Actin filaments undergo polymerization and depolymerization from either end. The polymerization and depolymerization rates depend on the cytosolic concentration of free G-actins. The polymerization rate is generally higher at the plus or barbed end, while the depolymerization rate is higher at the minus or pointed end. At a steady state, critical concentration describes the concentration of free G-actin monomers at which the polymerization rate at the plus end is equal to that of the...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Urinary concentrations of a direct ethanol metabolite indicate substantial ingestion of fermenting fruit by chimpanzees.

Biology letters·2026
Same author

Electrostatics facilitate midair host attachment in parasitic jumping nematodes.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2025
Same author

Ethanol ingestion via frugivory in wild chimpanzees.

Science advances·2025
Same author

Myo-inositol is a key regulator of avian metabolism: From mechanisms to seasonal behavior.

Science advances·2025
Same author

Ultrafast elastocapillary fans control agile maneuvering in ripple bugs and robots.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2025
Same author

Flamingos use their L-shaped beak and morphing feet to induce vortical traps for prey capture.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 27, 2026

The TreadWheel: Interval Training Protocol for Gently Induced Exercise in Drosophila melanogaster
07:21

The TreadWheel: Interval Training Protocol for Gently Induced Exercise in Drosophila melanogaster

Published on: June 8, 2018

12.2K

Meniscus ascent by thrips (Thysanoptera).

Victor Manuel Ortega-Jiménez1, Sarahi Arriaga-Ramirez2, Robert Dudley3

  • 1Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA ornithopterus@gmail.com.

Biology Letters
|September 15, 2016
PubMed
Summary

Small flying insects called thrips (order Thysanoptera) can escape water surfaces by climbing the meniscus. They arch their bodies to move head-first, even turning around if initially backward.

Keywords:
locomotionterrestrial insectsviscositywater surface

More Related Videos

Microbiota of Attine Ants' Gardens: Visualizing a Microbial Landscape by Scanning Electron Microscopy
07:00

Microbiota of Attine Ants' Gardens: Visualizing a Microbial Landscape by Scanning Electron Microscopy

Published on: October 4, 2024

1.2K
Establishment of a Chilli Thrips (Scirtothrips dorsalis Hood) Rearing System for Virulence Screening of Entomopathogenic Fungi
11:35

Establishment of a Chilli Thrips (Scirtothrips dorsalis Hood) Rearing System for Virulence Screening of Entomopathogenic Fungi

Published on: July 18, 2025

1.1K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 27, 2026

The TreadWheel: Interval Training Protocol for Gently Induced Exercise in Drosophila melanogaster
07:21

The TreadWheel: Interval Training Protocol for Gently Induced Exercise in Drosophila melanogaster

Published on: June 8, 2018

12.2K
Microbiota of Attine Ants' Gardens: Visualizing a Microbial Landscape by Scanning Electron Microscopy
07:00

Microbiota of Attine Ants' Gardens: Visualizing a Microbial Landscape by Scanning Electron Microscopy

Published on: October 4, 2024

1.2K
Establishment of a Chilli Thrips (Scirtothrips dorsalis Hood) Rearing System for Virulence Screening of Entomopathogenic Fungi
11:35

Establishment of a Chilli Thrips (Scirtothrips dorsalis Hood) Rearing System for Virulence Screening of Entomopathogenic Fungi

Published on: July 18, 2025

1.1K

Area of Science:

  • Entomology
  • Fluid Dynamics
  • Biomechanics

Background:

  • Meniscus climbing is documented in aquatic and neustonic insects.
  • Escape behaviors for small flying insects trapped on water are not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if thrips (order Thysanoptera) can escape water surfaces.
  • To understand the mechanism and factors influencing thrips' water-surface escape.

Main Methods:

  • Observing thrips' behavior on water surfaces with varying meniscus properties.
  • Utilizing variable-concentration sucrose solutions to alter fluid viscosity.
  • Analyzing thrips' body posture and movement during ascent.

Main Results:

  • Thrips can ascend a water meniscus by arching their non-wetting bodies.
  • Thrips can reorient themselves 180° to ascend head-first.
  • Ascent speed is inversely related to fluid viscosity.

Conclusions:

  • Thrips possess a dedicated behavior for escaping water surfaces.
  • This meniscus-climbing ability is likely crucial for small flying insects' survival.
  • Fluid viscosity significantly impacts the efficiency of water-surface escape in thrips.