Aerodynamics of the Smallest Flying Insects

Laura A. Miller; Steven Harenber; Ty Hedrick; Alice Robinson; Arvind Santhanakrishnan; Audrey Lowe

Aerodynamics of the Smallest Flying Insects

Fluid Dynamics 2011-10-18 v1

Authors: Laura A. Miller , Steven Harenber , Ty Hedrick , Alice Robinson , Arvind Santhanakrishnan , Audrey Lowe

Abstract

We present fluid dynamics videos of the flight of some of the smallest insects including the jewel wasp, \textit{Ampulex compressa}, and thrips, \textit{Thysanoptera} spp. The fruit fly, \textit{Drosophila melanogaster}, is large in comparison to these insects. While the fruit fly flies at $Re \approx 120$ , the jewel wasp flies at $Re \approx 60$ , and thrips flies at $Re \approx 10$ . Differences in the general structures of the wakes generated by each species are observed. The differences in the wakes correspond to changes in the ratio of lift forces (vertical component) to drag forces (horizontal component) generated.

Keywords

aerodynamics smallest flying insects fluid dynamics wake structure lift-to-drag ratio Reynolds number insect flight

Cite

@article{arxiv.1110.3443,
  title  = {Aerodynamics of the Smallest Flying Insects},
  author = {Laura A. Miller and Steven Harenber and Ty Hedrick and Alice Robinson and Arvind Santhanakrishnan and Audrey Lowe},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1110.3443},
  year   = {2011}
}

Comments

Videos are included for the APS Gallery of Fluid Motion

Aerodynamics of the Smallest Flying Insects

Abstract

Keywords

Cite

Comments

Related papers