Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India.
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India.
Curr Opin Insect Sci. 2020 Dec;42:84-89. doi: 10.1016/j.cois.2020.09.013. Epub 2020 Oct 7.
Many insects forage, oviposit or inject venom in their prey by penetrating or cutting through substrates. From a physical perspective, cutting involves creation of new free surfaces. The cutting parts of insects, such as their mandibles or ovipositor tips, are often zinc-enriched and hardened as compared to the other cuticular regions. Whereas tip hardening is key to their ability to penetrate surfaces, it is often also important for probes to be maneuverable through substrates. How do insect probes negotiate the trade-off between cutting and steering through substrates of diverse stiffness? To address this question, we review the morphology, mechanics, and adaptations in the cutting parts of various insects. Understanding these mechanisms will allow us to develop biomimetic tools, including agricultural and surgical tools, that can both cut and steer through diverse substrates.
许多昆虫在捕食、产卵或注射毒液时会穿透或切开基质。从物理角度来看，切割涉及到新自由表面的产生。昆虫的切割部分，如它们的下颚或产卵器尖端，通常比其他表皮区域富含锌并硬化。虽然尖端硬化是它们穿透表面能力的关键，但探针在基质中灵活移动通常也很重要。昆虫探针如何在不同硬度的基质中切割和转向之间进行权衡？为了解决这个问题，我们回顾了各种昆虫的切割部分的形态、力学和适应性。了解这些机制将使我们能够开发仿生工具，包括农业和外科工具，这些工具既可以切割又可以在各种基质中转向。
