Aerial manoeuvrability in wingless gliding ants (Cephalotes atratus) |
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Authors: | Stephen P Yanoviak Yonatan Munk Mike Kaspari Robert Dudley |
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Institution: | 1.Department of Biology, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, 2801 S. University Avenue, Little Rock, AR 72204, USA;2.Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA;3.EEB Graduate Program, Department of Zoology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019, USA;4.Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, PO Box 2072, Balboa, Republic of Panama |
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Abstract: | In contrast to the patagial membranes of gliding vertebrates, the aerodynamic surfaces used by falling wingless ants to direct their aerial descent are unknown. We conducted ablation experiments to assess the relative contributions of the hindlegs, midlegs and gaster to gliding success in workers of the Neotropical arboreal ant Cephalotes atratus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Removal of hindlegs significantly reduced the success rate of directed aerial descent as well as the glide index for successful flights. Removal of the gaster alone did not significantly alter performance relative to controls. Equilibrium glide angles during successful targeting to vertical columns were statistically equivalent between control ants and ants with either the gaster or the hindlegs removed. High-speed video recordings suggested possible use of bilaterally asymmetric motions of the hindlegs to effect body rotations about the vertical axis during targeting manoeuvre. Overall, the control of gliding flight was remarkably robust to dramatic anatomical perturbations, suggesting effective control mechanisms in the face of adverse initial conditions (e.g. falling upside down), variable targeting decisions and turbulent wind gusts during flight. |
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Keywords: | aerodynamics appendages arboreal behaviour Formicidae tropics |
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