How Mosquitoes Regrow Wings
WouterUntil now, scientists haven’t been able to understand how mosquitoes regrow wings after they’ve been torn. The damage to the insect’s wing can affect its flight performance, as well as its overall fitness. It can also make it easy for it to become a prey.
One of the biggest questions scientists have had about mosquitoes’ flight is how they generate lift. They use a unique system of generating lift by spinning their wings at extremely high speeds. They do this through leading-edge vortices and trailing-edge vortices, which are rotational bubbles of low pressure. These vortices create an airflow in the direction of the mosquito’s flight path.
Scientists tracked mosquitoes’ flight patterns using high-speed cameras. The cameras allowed researchers to observe subtle three-dimensional wing movements. They also helped researchers calculate the aerodynamic forces the insects use.
The mosquitoes’ unique flight behaviour may help researchers develop tiny scale flying technology. They also might help researchers understand how to develop new repellents for mosquitoes.
Scientists have also studied the aerodynamics of mosquito mating rituals. During mating, the male mosquitoes vibrate their wings at high frequencies in order to mate with the female. The female mosquitoes, on the other hand, sweep their wings over a greater distance during each wingbeat.
The study was backed by a $750,000 grant from the Human Frontier Science Program. It also drew support from the National Science Foundation.
Scientists are also planning to compare landings of blood-sucking insects with those of non-blood-sucking insects. This will help them understand how insects modify their takeoff to accommodate extra weight.
