The biological and aerodynamic implications of small body size for flight in insects

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Multiple insect species have undergone severe body miniaturization in the course of evolution, resulting in body sizes of less than a millimeter. The ability to fly is remarkable in these insects because high viscous friction on the body and flapping wings distinctly hinders aerial locomotion and produces elevated energetic costs. Miniaturization also leads to physiological constraints on the sensorimotor system owing to a reduced number of receptors and neurons needed for sensory processing. A reduced sensory capacity may lead to poor response accuracy during flight control and air turbulence-induced body posture reflexes. Although miniature insects are important agricultural pests or pest control agents, the mechanisms allowing them to mitigate aerodynamic, energetic, and physiological constraints are poorly understood. The proposed integrated research approach aims to investigate flight control, aerial behavior, muscle energetics, and fluid dynamics in four miniature insect species, representing four distinct insect orders. The project includes laboratory experiments on tethered and freely flying animals, using high-speed video, simulator flight, respirometric measurements, and robotics. The ultimate goal of the project is to understand how the various flight systems cope with the physical and physiological constraints on small bodies, and how flight-specific adaptations are linked with their functional roles during flight at the level of biomechanics and sensory biology.