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- Title
Inter‐ and intraspecific differences in leaf beetle attachment on rigid and compliant substrates.
- Authors
Voigt, D.; Souza, E. J.; Kovalev, A.; Gorb, S.
- Abstract
The influence of substrate stiffness on the attachment ability of insects has been largely neglected so far. In the present study, traction experiments with adult beetles Gastrophysa viridula and Leptinotarsa decemlineata were carried out to study the influence of smooth, non‐structured surfaces, having different stiffness, on beetle attachment. Force measurements were performed with tethered walking adult insects, both males and females, intact and after removal of claws, on hydrophilic (normal) and hydrophobic (silanized) glass and four polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrates ranging from 0.3 to 20 MPa in elastic modulus. Adult G. viridula generated higher safety factors (force/body weight) than L. decemlineata, 4.6–54.0 and 0.5–15.8 (min.–max.) respectively. The results show that the amputation of claws had no significant influence on the force generation by beetles on these smooth substrates. Males and females of both species performed best on stiffer surfaces having elastic moduli larger than 5 MPa. On the softer substrates, forces and safety factors significantly decreased. This effect was more prominent in L. decemlineata compared to the ten times lighter G. viridula. Since some natural substrates are rather soft, it is assumed that the effect of decrease in attachment ability of leaf beetles on soft substrata is of potential importance for the biology of leaf beetles. Leaf beetles are able to attach to a variety of substrates of different rigidity. In this study, traction experiments with adult leaf beetles Gastrophysa viridula and Leptinotarsa decemlineata were carried out to study the influence of smooth, non‐structured surfaces, having different stiffness, on beetle attachment. The beetles attached and pulled on stiff, hydrophilic and hydrophobic glass, as well as on stiff and soft hydrophobic polydimethylsiloxane. The observed differences in safety factors (force/body weight) are assumed to be mainly caused by combined effects of body weight and tarsal dimensions. The multifunctional leaf beetle tarsal attachment system is suitable for operating successfully in a complex world of highly variable, hierarchical and gradient materials, including differently stiff, (anti‐)adhesive and variably structured substrates.
- Subjects
CHRYSOMELIDAE; COLORADO potato beetle; POLYDIMETHYLSILOXANE; ELASTIC modulus; CLAWS
- Publication
Journal of Zoology, 2019, Vol 307, Issue 1, p1
- ISSN
0952-8369
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1111/jzo.12614