Sharpshooter insects excrete by catapulting urine droplets at high accelerations. By using computational fluid dynamics and biophysical experiments, the researchers studied the fluidic, energetic, and biomechanical principles of sharpshooter excretion. Their study reveals how an insect smaller than the tip of a pinky finger performs a feat of physics and bioengineering – superpropulsion.
Tag: insect biology
In the Absence of Genetic Variation, Asexual Invasive Species Find New Methods of Adapting to Their Environment
Research from Wellesley College shows that despite being a clonal insect species, weevils use gene regulation to adapt to new food sources and pass down epigenetic changes to future generations.