Body Parts Used to Glide and Steer

two black ants on a piece of wood, one has legs that appear to be flat, and a few spikes pointing out from their body

Biological Strategy

Ants

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Move in/Through Gases

Living systems must move through gases (which are less dense than liquids and solids) such as those in the earth’s atmosphere. The greatest challenge of moving in gases is that because the living system is heavier than the gas, it must overcome the force of gravity. Moving efficiently in this light medium presents unique challenges and opportunities for living systems. As a result, they have evolved countless solutions to optimize drag and increase lift so that they can stay aloft and take advantage of variable currents. Additionally, they must overcome gravity when moving from a liquid or solid into the air. The fairyfly, the smallest known insect, is a tiny wasp that must move through the air. To the wasp, air feels like a heavy liquid and to move through it, it uses special feathery oars rather than wings.

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Navigate Through Air

Although free from many of the physical obstructions found on land and in water, organisms that move through the air must still avoid hitting each other and objects in their flight path, such as trees and mountains. They also need to navigate from one place to another, which presents a different challenge. They use one strategy to navigate around obstructions and another to move towards their destination. For example, bats use echolocation to detect both obstacles and prey. To navigate during migration, bats also use vision, sun orientation, and likely other strategies.

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Insects

Class Insecta (“an insect”): Flies, ants, beetles, cockroaches, fleas, dragonflies

Insects are the most abundant arthropods—they make up 90% of the animals in the phylum. They’re found everywhere on earth except the deep ocean, and scientists estimate there are millions of insects not yet described. Most live on land, but many live in freshwater or saltwater marshes for part of their life cycles. Insects have three distinct body sections: a head, which has specialized mouthparts, a thorax, which has jointed legs, and an abdomen. They have well-developed nervous and sensory systems, and are the only invertebrate that can fly, thanks to their lightweight exoskeletons and small size.

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The bodies of some Cephalotini ants enable them to glide and steer through the air when falling thanks to long, flattened legs and flanged heads that may act as a rudder.

“Researchers from the Univ. of California at Berkeley, Univ. of Texas Medical Branch, and Univ. of Oklahoma Norman have discovered that some ants can glide through the air, even though they lack wings. So far, they’ve found some form of gliding in 25 species representing five separate genera. It is the norm in only two groups, however: the Cephalotini tribe, which includes Cephalotes atratus, and the arboreal Pseudomyrmecinae ants. The ants drop at a relatively fast velocity, turn 180 degrees in mid-air, and glide back to the tree trunk rear-end first, where they grab on. If they miss, they can do it again. What allows the ants to change direction so quickly is still a mystery. They have long, slightly flattened hind legs which, when combined with abdominal movements, might allow the ants to reorient in midair. They also have an unusual flattened head with flanges that could act as a rudder, Dudley said. ‘My guess is that, by gliding backwards and using their legs and also their flat head with flanges, they could steer,’ according to Stephen P. Yanoviak of UTMB who discovered them while conducting research in Peru, though more studies are needed before the question can be answered.” (Courtesy of the Biomimicry Guild)

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Last Updated August 18, 2016

Other Biological Strategies

a macro view of dragon fly wings against a blurry green background

Biological Strategy

Microstructure Offers Efficient Flight

Common skimmer

Wings of dragonflies offer highly efficient flight and lightweight characteristics due to a series of adaptive materials that form a very complex composite structure.