Basal complex and basal venation of Odonata wings: Structural diversity and potential role in the wing deformation
Journal article
Rajabi Jorshari, H., Ghoroubi, N., Malaki, M., Darvizeh, A. and Gorb, S.N. (2016). Basal complex and basal venation of Odonata wings: Structural diversity and potential role in the wing deformation. PLoS ONE. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0160610
Authors | Rajabi Jorshari, H., Ghoroubi, N., Malaki, M., Darvizeh, A. and Gorb, S.N. |
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Abstract | Dragonflies and damselflies, belonging to the order Odonata, are known to be excellent fliers with versatile flight capabilities. The ability to fly over a wide range of speeds, high manoeuvrability and great agility are a few characteristics of their flight. The architecture of the wings and their structural elements have been found to play a major role in this regard. However, the precise influence of individual wing components on the flight performance of these insects remains unknown. The design of the wing basis (so called basal complex) and the venation of this part are responsible for particular deformability and specific shape of the wing blade. However, the wing bases are rather different in representatives of different odonate groups. This presumably reflects the dimensions of the wings on one hand, and different flight characteristics on the other hand. In this article, we develop the first three-dimensional (3D) finite element (FE) models of the proximal part of the wings of typical representatives of five dragonflies and damselflies families. Using a combination of the basic material properties of insect cuticle, a linear elastic material model and a nonlinear geometric analysis, we simulate the mechanical behaviour of the wing bases. The results reveal that although both the basal venation and the basal complex influence the structural stiffness of the wings, it is only the latter which significantly affects their deformation patterns. The use of numerical simulations enabled us to address the role of various wing components such as the arculus, discoidal cell and triangle on the camber formation in flight. Our study further provides a detailed representation of the stress concentration in the models. The numerical analysis presented in this study is not only of importance for understanding structure-function relationship of insect wings, but also might help to improve the design of the wings for biomimetic micro-air vehicles (MAVs). |
Year | 2016 |
Journal | PLoS ONE |
Publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
ISSN | 1932-6203 |
Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0160610 |
Web address (URL) | http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84983523295&partnerID=MN8TOARS |
Publication dates | |
Online | 11 Aug 2016 |
Publication process dates | |
Deposited | 28 Jul 2022 |
Publisher's version | License File Access Level Open |
https://openresearch.lsbu.ac.uk/item/917qq
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