Jumping in lantern bugs (Hemiptera, Fulgoridae).
J Exp Biol
; 224(23)2021 12 01.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-34755862
ABSTRACT
Lantern bugs are amongst the largest of the jumping hemipteran bugs, with body lengths reaching 44â
mm and masses reaching 0.7â
g. They are up to 600 times heavier than smaller hemipterans that jump powerfully using catapult mechanisms to store energy. Does a similar mechanism also propel jumping in these much larger insects? The jumping performance of two species of lantern bugs (Hemiptera, Auchenorrhyncha, family Fulgoridae) from India and Malaysia was therefore analysed from high-speed videos. The kinematics showed that jumps were propelled by rapid and synchronous movements of both hind legs, with their trochantera moving first. The hind legs were 20-40% longer than the front legs, which was attributable to longer tibiae. It took 5-6â
ms to accelerate to take-off velocities reaching 4.65â
mâ
s-1 in the best jumps by female Kalidasa lanata. During these jumps, adults experienced an acceleration of 77â
g, required an energy expenditure of 4800â
µJ and a power output of 900â
mW, and exerted a force of 400â
mN. The required power output of the thoracic jumping muscles was 21,000â
Wâ
kg-1, 40 times greater than the maximum active contractile limit of muscle. Such a jumping performance therefore required a power amplification mechanism with energy storage in advance of the movement, as in their smaller relatives. These large lantern bugs are near isometrically scaled-up versions of their smaller relatives, still achieve comparable, if not higher, take-off velocities, and outperform other large jumping insects such as grasshoppers.
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Texto completo:
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Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Hemípteros
Limite:
Animals
Idioma:
En
Revista:
J Exp Biol
Ano de publicação:
2021
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Índia