DISSERTATION RESEARCH: The Biomechanics and Evolution of Flight Reduction in Stick Insects

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How wings first appeared and then were lost in insects is not well understood. The proposed research will study transitions in insect wing structure within a functional context. The focus of the research is stick insects, which exhibit tremendous diversity of wing morphology and flight capacity. Initial studies have found flight performance to be correlated with relative wing size. This study samples wing morphology and flight biomechanics of stick insects from the field, and uses an integrative approach to compare wing morphology and flight biomechanics among different species and to analyze the history of these traits in an integrative, multi-dimensional manner. Anticipated results include demonstrations of how stepwise transitions of wing morphology correlate with changes in the flight performance, and the role of intermediates between flying and non-flying forms. Understanding of the transition between flying and flightless forms will be relevant to other fields, for example, to the design of micro air vehicles. In schools and museums, scientific results from this study can be used to help people understand the process of how insects gained or lost wings. Furthermore, this study enhances scientific communication between the U.S. and Malaysia, and continues to provide research opportunities to undergraduate students in both countries.