Effect of Curvature on Wetting and Dewetting of Proboscises of Butterflies and Moths

Overview

Journal R Soc Open Sci

Specialty Science

Date 2018 Feb 8

PMID 29410834

Citations 4

Authors

Chengqi Zhang

Charles E Beard

Peter H Adler

Konstantin G Kornev

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Proboscises of butterflies are modelled as elliptical hollow fibres that can be bent into coils. The behaviour of coating films on such complex fibres is investigated to explain the remarkable ability of these insects to control liquid collection after dipping the proboscis into a flower or pressing and mopping it over a food source. By using a thin-film approximation with the air-liquid interface positioned almost parallel to the fibre surface, capillary pressure was estimated from the profile of the fibre surfaces supporting the films. The film is always unstable and the proboscis shape and movements have adaptive value in collecting fluid: coiling and bending of proboscises of butterflies and moths facilitate fluid collection. Some practical applications of this effect are discussed with regard to fibre engineering.

Citing Articles

Diverse material properties and morphology of moth proboscises relates to the feeding habits of some macromoth and other lepidopteran lineages.

Bast E, Marshall N, Myers K, Marsh L, Hurtado M, Van Zandt P Interface Focus. 2024; 14(2):20230051.

PMID: 38618232 PMC: 11008959. DOI: 10.1098/rsfs.2023.0051.

Wettability and morphology of proboscises interweave with hawkmoth evolutionary history.

Palaoro A, Gole A, Sun Y, Puchalski A, Beard C, Adler P J Exp Biol. 2023; 226(19).

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Ultramorphological Comparison of Proboscis and Associated Sensilla of and (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae).

Zhang C, Niu Y, Hu G, Lu J Insects. 2021; 12(11).

PMID: 34821792 PMC: 8617949. DOI: 10.3390/insects12110992.

Self-assembly of the butterfly proboscis: the role of capillary forces.

Zhang C, Adler P, Monaenkova D, Andrukh T, Pometto S, Beard C J R Soc Interface. 2018; 15(144).

PMID: 30045890 PMC: 6073639. DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2018.0229.

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