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Moth wings are acoustic metamaterials.

Thomas R Neil1, Zhiyuan Shen1, Daniel Robert1

  • 1School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TQ, United Kingdom.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
|November 24, 2020
PubMed
Summary

Moth wings possess a natural acoustic metamaterial that absorbs ultrasound, offering acoustic camouflage against bats. This evolved structure is ultrathin and broadband, inspiring new noise-mitigation technologies.

Keywords:
acousticsbiosonarmoth scalenatural metamaterialultrasonic

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Area of Science:

  • Acoustics
  • Materials Science
  • Biomimetics

Background:

  • Metamaterials are engineered structures with unique physical properties not found in nature.
  • Natural acoustic metamaterials are currently unknown.
  • Moth wings exhibit intricate scale layers that may possess acoustic functionalities.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the acoustic properties of moth wing scales.
  • To determine if moth wings function as a natural acoustic metamaterial.
  • To explore the potential of this biological structure for noise mitigation.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of the intricate scale layer on moth wings.
  • Characterization of the scale layer's ultrasound absorption capabilities.
  • Investigation of the collective behavior of individual scales as unit cells.

Main Results:

  • Moth wings function as a metamaterial ultrasound absorber, achieving 72% absorption at 78 kHz.
  • The absorber is 111 times thinner than the longest absorbed wavelength.
  • Individual scales act as resonant unit cells, collectively providing broadband, deep-subwavelength absorption exceeding individual contributions.

Conclusions:

  • Moth wings provide acoustic camouflage against echolocating bats through an evolved acoustic metamaterial.
  • This natural metamaterial combines broadband absorption with lightweight, ultrathin structures suitable for flight.
  • The design principles of this biological acoustic metamaterial offer novel approaches for developing advanced noise mitigation devices.