Tagged: insects

Misconceptions of the Bumblebee: an in-depth Analysis of an Aerodynamic Marvel

You have probably all heard, at one point or another, that the bumblebee is nothing short of a scientific enigma – that our greatest minds, who have managed to place a man on the moon, have yet to explain the aerodynamics of the bumblebee’s flight. Unfortunately (or rather fortunately) this is all a misconception. Studies […]

Ballooning Spiders

It’s an arachnophobe’s worst nightmare. Thousands of tiny spiders flying through the air, carried by the  wind to mercilessly attack all those who cross their path. They travel with one purpose in mind – our destruction. Ok, so I was joking about spiders hellbent on our destruction, but believe it or not some spiders are […]

Micro Flying Robots Bring Spying To A New Level

Is bigger really always better? Not in this case. Engineers have been working on tiny flying robots that have the ability to spy and detect harmful chemicals. With this new technology, these little fliers could be used by the United States Military in order to help with defending the US. The fly-like look and size […]

The canopy ants: Prof Steve Yanoviak speaks in EK131

Canopy ants use “directed aerial descent” to return to their home tree trunk when they fall from a branch. They were the first known case of gliding in an insect with no wings— a completely unexpected discovery. They also glide intentionally backwards toward the tree, with their abdomen (gaster) leading and their head tailing, which […]

The Astonishing Agility of the Dragonfly

The dragonfly is an extremely unique insect, both in the shape of its body, and its 4 independent wings. Lets start with its eyes. The dragonfly, like many insects, has nearly 30,000 eyes, called compound eyes(1). This doesn’t work well for traditional sight it gives the dragonfly a 360 degree motion detector of sorts. This […]