Grohmann, Constanze, Blankenstein, Andreas, Koops, Sven and Gorb, Stanislav (2014) Attachment of Galerucella nymphaeae (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae) to surfaces with different surface energy. Journal of Experimental Biology, 217 (23). pp. 4213-4220. DOI 10.1242/jeb.108902.

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Abstract

Numerous studies deal with insect attachment onto surfaces with different roughness; however, little is known about insect attachment onto surfaces that have different chemistry. In the present study, we describe the attachment structures of the water-lily leaf beetle Galerucella nymphaeae and test the hypothesis that the larval and adult stages generate the strongest attachment on surfaces with contact angles that are similar to those of leaves of their host plants. The larvae bear a smooth attachment system with arolium-like structures at their legs and a pygopodium at the abdomen tip. Adults have pointed setae on the ventral side of the two proximal tarsomeres and densely arranged spatula-shaped ones on their third tarsomere. In a centrifugal force tester, larvae and adults attained the highest friction forces and safety factors on surfaces with a water contact angle of 83 deg compared to those of 6, 26 and 109 deg. This comes close to the contact angle of their host plant Nuphar lutea (86 deg). The similarity in larval and adult performances might be a result of the similar chemical composition of their attachment fluid. We compare our findings with previous studies on the forces that insects generate on surfaces with different surface energies.

Document Type:	Article
Additional Information:	Times Cited: 0 0
Keywords:	Adhesion, Friction, Contact angle, Insect, Biomechanics, Locomotion
Research affiliation:	Kiel University OceanRep > The Future Ocean - Cluster of Excellence
Refereed:	Yes
Open Access Journal?:	No
Publisher:	The Company of Biologists
Projects:	Future Ocean
Date Deposited:	30 Mar 2015 12:17
Last Modified:	23 Sep 2019 19:34
URI:	https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/27598

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