Functional morphology and structural characteristics of wings of the ladybird beetle, Coccinella septempunctata (L.).

ABSTRACT

In recent years, the surface morphology and microstructure of ladybird (Coccinella septempunctata) wings have been used to help design the flapping-wing micro air vehicle (FWMAV). In this study, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to verify the functional roles of the ladybird forewing and hindwing. Surface morphology and the cross-sectional microstructure of the wings are presented. Detailed morphology of ladybird forewings was observed using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and the composition of the wings was characterized using Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The ladybird forewing may possess different performance characteristics than the beetle, Allomyrina dichotoma. Additionally, the circular holes in the forewing might be important for decreasing the weight of the forewing and to satisfy requirements of mechanical behavior. Microsc. Res. Tech. 79550-556, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.