Catches in Wings Hold, Release Tension

a yellow and black bee hovers in front of bright yellow flower

Biological Strategy

Parasitic hymenoptera

AskNature Team

Image: David Clode / Unsplash / Free non-commercial use

Transform Mechanical Energy

Mechanical energy is made up of kinetic energy (the energy of an object in motion) and potential energy (stored energy). Organisms use mechanical energy in a variety of ways, including capturing prey, transporting seeds, and moving around.

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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 wings of bees and other fast flying insects provide surges of power from tiny catches, which momentarily hold wings to build up tension and then suddenly release them.

Image: Muhammad Mahdi Karim / Wikimedia commons /

12mm long Apis mellifera flying back to its hive carrying pollen in a pollen basket. Pictured in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania on a private facility.

Image: Muhammad Mahdi Karim / Wikimedia commons /

12mm long Apis mellifera flying. The pollen basket can be seen. Pictured in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

“Even greater frequency of wing beat is effected in some groups by fibrillar muscle, which contracts and relaxes with such near automatic and continuous rapidity, initiated by a single nervous impulse, that the wings are seen only as a mist of movement. In addition to this, brief surges of power may be achieved by the wings being momentarily held in their up or down position by tiny catches until the build up of tension causes them to be suddenly released. Changes of speed or direction are brought about by other sets of muscles.” (Wootton 1984:38)