Wan Chao, Cao Rentian, Hao Zhixiu
State Key Laboratory of Tribology, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
Department of Mechanics, School of Aerospace Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China.
Insects. 2020 Apr 23;11(4):259. doi: 10.3390/insects11040259.
The jump performance of locusts depends on several physiological and environmental factors. Few studies have examined the effects of different ground types on the jump performance of locusts. Here, mature adult locusts () were examined using a custom-developed measuring system to test their jump performance (including postural features, kinematics, and reaction forces) on three types of ground (sand, soil, and wood). Significant differences were primarily observed in the elevation angle at take-off, the tibial angle at take-off, and the component of the mass-specific reaction force along the aft direction of the insect body between wood and the other two ground types (sand and soil). Slippage of the tarsus and insertion of the tibia were often observed when the locusts jumped on sand and soil, respectively. Nevertheless, comparisons of the different parameters of jump initiation (i.e., take-off speed and mass-specific kinetic energy) did not reveal any differences among the three types of ground, indicating that locusts were able to achieve robust jump performance on various substrates. This study provides insights into the biomechanical basis of the locust jump on different types of ground and enhances our understanding of the mechanism underlying the locust jump.
蝗虫的跳跃性能取决于多种生理和环境因素。很少有研究考察不同地面类型对蝗虫跳跃性能的影响。在此，使用定制开发的测量系统对成熟成年蝗虫（）进行研究，以测试它们在三种地面类型（沙地、土壤和木材）上的跳跃性能（包括姿势特征、运动学和反作用力）。主要观察到在起跳时的仰角、起跳时的胫骨角度以及木材与其他两种地面类型（沙地和土壤）之间沿昆虫身体后向方向的比质量反作用力分量存在显著差异。蝗虫在沙地和土壤上跳跃时，分别经常观察到跗节打滑和胫骨插入。然而，对跳跃起始的不同参数（即起跳速度和比质量动能）的比较并未揭示三种地面类型之间存在任何差异，这表明蝗虫能够在各种基质上实现强劲的跳跃性能。这项研究为蝗虫在不同类型地面上跳跃的生物力学基础提供了见解，并增进了我们对蝗虫跳跃潜在机制的理解。
