Unconventional lift-generating mechanisms in free-flying butterflies (2024)

Table of Contents
Abstract Access options Additional access options: Similar content being viewed by others Vortex trapping recaptures energy in flying fruit flies Birds repurpose the role of drag and lift to take off and land A method for continuous study of soaring and windhovering birds References Acknowledgements Author information Authors and Affiliations Corresponding author Ethics declarations Competing interests Supplementary information Supplementary Figure 1 (PDF 998 kb) Supplementary Figure 2 (PDF 671 kb) Supplementary Figure 3 (PDF 1076 kb) Supplementary Figure 4 (PDF 1115 kb) Supplementary Figure Legends (DOC 41 kb) Supplementary Movie (MOV 617 kb) Rights and permissions About this article Cite this article This article is cited by Evolution, types, and distribution of flight control devices on wings and elytra in bark beetles Investigate the Wake Flow on Houseflies with Particle-Tracking-Velocimetry and Schlieren Photography Physical models and vortex dynamics of swimming and flying: a review Design and analysis of an untethered micro flapping robot which can glide on the water Vortex trapping recaptures energy in flying fruit flies Comments References
  • Letter
  • Published:
  • R. B. Srygley1 &
  • A. L. R. Thomas1

Nature volume420,pages 660–664 (2002)Cite this article

  • 2723 Accesses

  • 301 Citations

  • 3 Altmetric

  • Metrics details

Abstract

Flying insects generate forces that are too large to be accounted for by conventional steady-state aerodynamics1,2. To investigate these mechanisms of force generation, we trained red admiral butterflies, Vanessa atalanta, to fly freely to and from artificial flowers in a wind tunnel, and used high-resolution, smoke-wire flow visualizations to obtain qualitative, high-speed digital images of the air flow around their wings. The images show that free-flying butterflies use a variety of unconventional aerodynamic mechanisms to generate force: wake capture3, two different types of leading-edge vortex3,4,5,6,7, active and inactive upstrokes8, in addition to the use of rotational mechanisms3 and the Weis–Fogh ‘clap-and-fling’ mechanism9,10,11,12. Free-flying butterflies often used different aerodynamic mechanisms in successive strokes. There seems to be no one ‘key’ to insect flight, instead insects rely on a wide array of aerodynamic mechanisms to take off, manoeuvre, maintain steady flight, and for landing.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Access through your institution

Change institution

Buy or subscribe

Subscribe to this journal

Receive 51 print issues and online access

$199.00 per year

only $3.90 per issue

Learn more

Rent or buy this article

Prices vary by article type

from$1.95

to$39.95

Learn more

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

Unconventional lift-generating mechanisms in free-flying butterflies (5)

Vortex trapping recaptures energy in flying fruit flies

Article Open access 26 March 2021

Fritz-Olaf Lehmann, Hao Wang & Thomas Engels

Unconventional lift-generating mechanisms in free-flying butterflies (6)

Birds repurpose the role of drag and lift to take off and land

Article Open access 25 November 2019

Diana D. Chin & David Lentink

Unconventional lift-generating mechanisms in free-flying butterflies (7)

A method for continuous study of soaring and windhovering birds

Article Open access 29 April 2022

Matthew Penn, George Yi, … Abdulghani Mohamed

References

  1. Sane, S. P. & Dickinson, M. H. The aerodynamic effects of wing rotation and a revised quasi-steady model of flapping flight. J. Exp. Biol. 205, 1087–1096 (2002)

    PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Zbikowski, R. On aerodynamic modelling of an insect-like flapping wing in hover for micro air vehicles. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. A 360, 273–290 (2002)

    Article ADS Google Scholar

  3. Dickinson, M. H., Lehmann, F.-O. & Sane, S. P. Wing rotation and the aerodynamic basis of insect flight. Science 284, 1954–1960 (1999)

    Article CAS Google Scholar

  4. Maxworthy, T. The fluid-dynamics of insect flight. Ann. Rev. Fluid Mech. 13, 329–350 (1981)

    Article ADS Google Scholar

  5. Ellington, C. P., van den Berg, C., Willmott, A. P. & Thomas, A. L. R. Leading-edge vortices in insect flight. Nature 384, 626–630 (1996)

    Article ADS CAS Google Scholar

  6. Van den Berg, C. & Ellington, C. P. The vortex wake of a hovering model hawkmoth. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. Lond B 352, 317–328 (1997)

    Article ADS Google Scholar

  7. Birch, J. M. & Dickinson, M. H. Spanwise flow and the attachment of the leading-edge vortex on insect wings. Nature 412, 729–733 (2001)

    Article ADS CAS Google Scholar

  8. Saffman, P. G. & Sheffield, J. S. Flow over a wing with an attached free vortex. Studies Appl. Math. 57, 107–117 (1977)

    Article MathSciNet Google Scholar

  9. Weis-Fogh, T. Quick estimates of flight fitness in hovering animals, including novel mechanisms for lift production. J. Exp. Biol. 59, 169–230 (1973)

    Google Scholar

  10. Lighthill, J. On the Weis-Fogh mechanism of lift generation. J. Fluid Mech. 60, 1–17 (1973)

    Article ADS MathSciNet Google Scholar

  11. Maxworthy, T. Experiments on the Weis-Fogh mechanism of lift generation by insects in hovering flight. Part 1. Dynamics of the ‘fling’. J. Fluid Mech. 93, 47–63 (1979)

    Article ADS Google Scholar

  12. Ellington, C. P. Biological Fluid Dynamics Symp. Soc. Exp. Biol. (eds Ellington, C. P. & Pedley, T. J.) Vol. 49, 109–129 (Company of Biologists, Cambridge, 1995)

    Google Scholar

  13. Rossow, V. J. Lift enhancement by an externally trapped vortex. J. Aircraft 15, 618–625 (1978)

    Article Google Scholar

  14. Rossow, V. J. Two-fence concept for efficient trapping of vortices on airfoils. J. Aircraft 29, 847–855 (1992)

    Article Google Scholar

  15. Rossow, V. J. Aerodynamics of airfoils with vortex trapped by two spanwise fences. J. Aircraft 31, 146–153 (1994)

    Article Google Scholar

  16. Huang, M.-K. & Chow, C.-Y. Trapping of a free vortex by Joukowski airfoils. Am. Inst. Aeronaut. Astronaut. J. 20, 292–298 (1982)

    Article Google Scholar

  17. Mourtos, N. J. & Brooks, M. Flow past a flat plate with a vortex/sink combination. J. Appl. Mech. 63, 543–550 (1996)

    Article ADS Google Scholar

  18. Riddle, T. W., Wadco*ck, A. J., Tso, J. & Cummings, R. M. An experimental analysis of vortex trapping techniques. J. Fluids Eng. 121, 555–559 (1999)

    Article Google Scholar

  19. Gursul, I. & Ho, C.-M. High aerodynamic loads on an airfoil submerged in an unsteady stream. Am. Inst. Aeronaut. Astronaut. J. 30, 1117–1119 (1992)

    Article Google Scholar

  20. Gad-el-Hak, M. & Ho, C.-M. Unsteady vortical lift around three-dimensional lifting surfaces. Am. Inst. Aeronaut. Astronaut. J. 24, 713–721 (1986)

    Article Google Scholar

  21. Délery, J. M., Legendre, R. & Werlé, H. Toward the elucidation of three-dimensional separation. Ann. Rev. Fluid Mech. 33, 129–154 (2001)

    Article ADS Google Scholar

  22. Perry, A. E. & Chong, M. S. A description of eddying motions and flow patterns using critical-point concepts. Ann. Rev. Fluid Mech. 19, 125–155 (1987)

    Article ADS Google Scholar

  23. Tobak, M. & Peake, D. J. Topology of three-dimensional separated flows. Ann. Rev. Fluid Mech. 14, 61–85 (1982)

    Article ADS MathSciNet Google Scholar

  24. Lighthill, M. J. Laminar Boundary Layer Theory Section II 2.6 (ed. Rosenhead, L.) 72–82 (Oxford Univ. Press, New York, 1963)

    Google Scholar

  25. Legendre, R. Separation de L'ecoulement laminaire tridimensionnel. Rech. Aeronaut. 54, 3–8 (1956)

    Google Scholar

  26. Poincaré, H. Les points singulièrs des équations différentielles. C.R. Acad. Sci. Paris 94, 416–418 (1882)

    MATH Google Scholar

  27. Hornung, H. & Perry, A. E. Some aspects of three-dimensional separation. I: Streamsurface bifurcations. Z. Flugwiss. Weltraumforsch. 8, 77–87 (1984)

    Google Scholar

  28. Willmott, A. P., Ellington, C. P. & Thomas, A. L. R. Flow visualisation and unsteady aerodynamics in the flight of the hawkmoth Manduca sexta. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. B 352, 303–316 (1997)

    Article ADS Google Scholar

  29. Rayner, J. M. V., Jones, G. & Thomas, A. L. R. Vortex flow visualizations reveal change in upstroke function with flight speed in bats. Nature 321, 162–164 (1986)

    Article ADS Google Scholar

  30. Spedding, G. R. Advances in Comparative Environmental Physiology 11. Mechanics of Animal Locomotion (ed. Alexander, R. M.) (Springer, Berlin, 1993)

    Google Scholar

Download references

Acknowledgements

We thank the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council instrument pool for use of their NAC500 high-speed video camera. R.B.S. was supported by a Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council grant to A.L.R.T. A.L.R.T. was supported by a Royal Society University Research Fellowship.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, OX1 3PS, Oxford, UK

    R. B. Srygley&A. L. R. Thomas

Authors

  1. R. B. Srygley

    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMedGoogle Scholar

  2. A. L. R. Thomas

    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMedGoogle Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to A. L. R. Thomas.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The authors declare that they have no competing financial interests.

Rights and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Srygley, R., Thomas, A. Unconventional lift-generating mechanisms in free-flying butterflies. Nature 420, 660–664 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature01223

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nature01223

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Unconventional lift-generating mechanisms in free-flying butterflies (2024)

References

Top Articles
William And Mary Decisions
Clay County Detention Center Roster Lookup, KY, Inmate Search
Autoverschrottung in Nürnberg » Wir holen kostenlos ab!
Lagerraum mieten in Nürnberg » Storage Units ab 1 m²
Huniepop Jessie Questions And Answers
Places To Pick Up Moneygram
Catarina Lia Katia Azancot Korn
Directions To The Nearest Great Clips
A Comprehensive Guide To The Best Menswear Brands, From High Street To Independent Designers
Tmobile Outage Corpus Christi
Gegp Ihub
Restaurants Near Hampton Inn Airport
Latest Posts
Clay County Detention Center, KY Inmate Search: Roster & Mugshots
Read recent and archived obituaries and memorial notices from Toronto Star.
Article information

Author: Nicola Considine CPA

Last Updated:

Views: 5983

Rating: 4.9 / 5 (49 voted)

Reviews: 88% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Nicola Considine CPA

Birthday: 1993-02-26

Address: 3809 Clinton Inlet, East Aleisha, UT 46318-2392

Phone: +2681424145499

Job: Government Technician

Hobby: Calligraphy, Lego building, Worldbuilding, Shooting, Bird watching, Shopping, Cooking

Introduction: My name is Nicola Considine CPA, I am a determined, witty, powerful, brainy, open, smiling, proud person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.