In this way, they use the water's drag force, just like a boat's oars, which push the water backwards to move the boat forward. Then the legs, surrounded by a layer of air, move down and push the water down and the water skier's body up. Therefore, the +trampoline+ mechanism is applied only to the initial moments of the jump before the rupture of the film. 'We observed that these giant water striders break the water's surface film as they jump. Jabłoński.Īfter filming their jumps at 1,000 frames per second, researchers discovered a new mechanism. Therefore, together with Korean and Vietnamese colleagues, I went on several field expeditions in Vietnam, where we discovered a new mechanism in the world's largest insect that spends its entire life on the water surface - the water strider Gigantometra gigas, weighing up to 0.5 grams,’ says the publication co-author Professor Piotr G. 'As a field biologist who sees the true value of science based on observations of animals in their natural habitats, I was fed up with the common practice of research based on convenient observations of insects present +right under our noses+ near university campuses. Jabłoński from the Museum and Institute of Zoology of the Polish Academy of Sciences participated in the project and collaborated with biologists and engineers from Seoul National University, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science & Technology (DGIST) in Korea, with the participation of a French researcher from École Polytechnique during her visits to Korea. The scientists published their research results in PNAS. Analyses have shown that, unlike smaller water striders, the giant species break the water surface when their legs press against it as they jump. Scientists from Korea, Vietnam, Poland and France observed insects in their natural habitats. This concerns the species Gigantometra gigas and other species weighing more than 80 mg. New research conducted in the tropical forests of Pu Mat National Park in Vietnam has shown a different mechanism used by the world's largest water striders, whose leg span can reach up to 30 cm. However, they drew these conclusions based on studies only of smaller species that were easily accessible to researchers. Until recently, scientists thought that all water striders jumped this way. The largest water striders in the world jump differently The jumping speed they achieve is up to 1.6 m/s. Insects do not pierce the water surface with their legs, because then the surface tension force would be zero - analogous to the situation when the surface of the trampoline is broken. The stronger the pressure on the surface film and the larger the depression, the greater the surface tension force and the faster the jump. When they want to escape from attacking backswimmers or fish, they use the depressions made by their legs as tiny trampolines, allowing them to jump quickly. They feed on other insects that appear on the water surface, and they themselves may fall prey to underwater predators. Under the pressure of their legs, the water surface bends, forming tiny depressions. The presence of these microscopic hairs creates strong hydrophobic properties and allows these insects to take advantage of the surface tension of water. Water striders stay on the water surface thanks to their long legs covered with fine hairs. How do water striders jump? Water is their mini-trampoline The most common species in Poland are the relatively small Gerris lacustris and the larger Aquarius paludum, whose body reaches a length of about 1.5 cm and weight does not exceed 60 mg. Several species can even survive on the surface of ocean waters. They appear on all continents, usually in ponds, lakes, or slowly or quickly flowing waters. Water striders ( Gerridae) are insects from the group of bugs that live on the water surface.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |