1. Aerodynamic theory predicts that migrant fliers should reduce their speed of flight as endogenous energy reserves are gradually consumed. This prediction was tested for butterfly species (Pieridae and Nymphalidae) that engage in annual rainy season migrations through central Panama. 2. Direct airspeed measurements were made on butterflies in natural free flight, followed by chloroform : meth...

Each fall, eastern North American monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) migrate from their northern range to their overwintering grounds in central Mexico. Fall migrants are in reproductive diapause, and they use a time-compensated sun compass to navigate during the long journey south. Eye-sensed directional cues from the daylight sky (e.g., the horizontal or azimuthal position of the sun) are...

In the takeoff and early flight phase of a twisting somersault, joint coordination is based on feed-forward control whereas in the late stages of the flight phase configuration adjustments are made using feedback control to ensure accurate completion of the movement and appropriate landing orientation. The aim of this study was to use a computer simulation model of aerial movement to investigat...

Without sensory feedback, flies cannot fly. Exactly how various feedback controls work in insects is a complex puzzle to solve. What do insects measure to stabilize their flight? How often and how fast must insects adjust their wings to remain stable? To gain insights into algorithms used by insects to control their dynamic instability, we develop a simulation tool to study free flight. To stab...

The Porous Tube Plant Nutrient Delivery System (PTPNDS), a hydrophilic, microporous ceramic tube hydroponic system designed for microgravity, will be tested in a middeck locker of the Space Shuttle. The flight experiment will focus on hardware operation and assess its ability to support seed germination and early seedling growth in microgravity. The water controlling system of the PTPNDS hardwa...

Changes in flight direction in flying insects are largely due to roll, yaw and pitch rotations of their body. Head orientation is stabilized for most of the time by counter rotation. Here, we use high-speed video to analyse head- and body-movements of the bumblebee Bombus terrestris while approaching and departing from a food source located between three landmarks in an indoor flight-arena. The...

Visually guided flight control in the rainforest is arguably one of the most complex insect behaviors: illumination varies dramatically depending on location [1], and the densely cluttered environment blocks out most of the sky [2]. What visual information do insects sample for flight control in this habitat? To begin answering this question, we determined the visual fields of the ocelli-though...

Bees and wasps perform systematic flight manoevres when they leave their nest or a foodplace, during which they acquire or update their visual memory of the goal location. In a typical learning flight, the insect backs away from the goal in a series of arcs that are roughly centred on the goal. The mean rate of turning is rather constant and tends to balance the angular speed at which the arc i...

High-elevation habitats offer ecological advantages including reduced competition, predation, and parasitism [1]. However, flying organisms at high elevation also face physiological challenges due to lower air density and oxygen availability [2]. These constraints are expected to affect the flight maneuvers that are required to compete with rivals, capture prey, and evade threats [3-5]. To test...

Title of dissertation: SOMATOSENSORY SIGNALING FOR FLIGHT CONTROL IN THE ECHOLOCATING BAT EPTESICUS FUSCUS Mohit Chadha, Doctor of Philosophy, 2014 Dissertation directed by: Professor Cynthia F. Moss Program in Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Bats are the only mammals to have evolved powered flight. Their specialized handwings with elongated digits and a thin membrane spanning the digits not...