scholarly journals Impaired escape flight ability in butterflies due to low flight muscle ratio prior to hibernation

2008 ◽  
Vol 211 (1) ◽  
pp. 24-28 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Almbro ◽  
C. Kullberg
Keyword(s):  
Flight Muscle ◽  
Flight Ability ◽  
Flight Muscle Ratio

scholarly journals Experimental Manipulation of Dispersal Ability in A Neotropical Butterfly Anartia fatima (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae)

Insects ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 107 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Srygley
Keyword(s):  
Treatment Group ◽  
Flight Muscle ◽  
Experimental Manipulation ◽  
Group Differences ◽  
Dispersal Ability ◽  
Treatment Groups ◽  
Mark Release Recapture ◽  
And Control ◽  
Mass Allocation ◽  
Flight Muscle Ratio

Research on endangered British butterflies has found that butterfly populations in small refuges evolve to allocate more mass to the thorax (flight muscle) and less to the abdomen than populations in large refuges. The observed change in mass allocation affects two morphological features relevant to flight: the flight muscle ratio (FMR) and the position of center of body mass (cmbody). The author tested whether a decrease in FMR or a change in cmbody reduced the ability to disperse by experimentally weight-loading Neotropical Anartia fatima butterflies. In one treatment group, FMR was decreased but cmbody was not altered, whereas in the second group FMR was decreased and cmbody was repositioned further posterior. In one mark–release–recapture (MRR) experiment, butterflies dispersed relatively slowly, and treatment groups did not differ significantly. In a replicate experiment, butterflies dispersed more quickly, and control butterflies dispersed more rapidly than either treatment group. Differences in dispersal were consistent with a causal relationship between FMR and movement. A more posterior cmbody had little effect on dispersal beyond that due to the change in FMR. These results support the hypothesis that an increase in mass allocation to the thorax in small, dispersed refugia is due to selection on the ability to disperse.

scholarly journals Comparative study of biology on ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) - flight ability, feeding habits and fecundity

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sonomi Shibuya
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Flight Muscle ◽  
Feeding Habits ◽  
Ground Beetles ◽  
The Other ◽  
Basic Knowledge ◽  
Reproductive Phenology ◽  
Flight Ability ◽  
Key Species ◽  
Flight Muscles

We studied flight ability, feeding habits and fecundity in carabids. Based on these traits, we investigated characteristics of five species of Harpalus, Synuchus and Carabus as bioindicators of changing environments. Three species of Harpalus, H. griseus, H. eous and H. tridens, showed different degrees of flight ability. We examined the morphology and the length of hind wings, and also investigated by dissection the phenology of flight muscles. The ratio of hind wing to body length (HWBL) was 0.93 in H. tridens, 0.99 in H. eous and 1.02 in H. griseus. The aerial catches ratio to total catches (aerial / aerial+ pitfall traps) of H. tridens was lower (16%) than the other two (72, 76%), and the proportion of individuals with flight muscles of H. tridens (29%) was lower than the other two (71, 77%), indicating H. tridens has lowest flight ability. All three species exhibited flight muscle polymorphism. The hind wings of Synuchus cycloderus were mono-morphic macropterous with 0.75 (HWBL). However, no individuals were caught by aerial traps, and none possessed the flight muscles, indicating this species does not fly. The hind wings of Carabus procerulus were mono-morphic stick-shaped brachyptery without the flight muscle. Flight is important trait for food searching and dispersal. Gut dissection revealed that three Harpalus species depended mainly on seeds and partly on arthropods. The fact that animal fragments were found more frequently in the guts of H. tridens than the other two indicated a close relationship between flight ability and diet. Through gut dissection, we found S. cycloderus was a generalist predator. It preys not only on larvae but also adults of small arthropods including collembola. The food remains of guts of C. procerulus consisted of amorphous fluid, and cuticles were hardly detected. It suggested that the inside of prey was exclusively consumed by extra-oral digestion rather than chewing. Fecundity was assessed by gonad dissection through the number of ovarian eggs and their size. S. cycloderus had many eggs with small size, by contrast C. procerulus and three Harpalus species had few-large eggs. Many studies have shown that ground beetles responded differently to vegetation disturbances. We interpreted these results from their ecological traits. Our previous study of the vegetation disturbance effects on ground beetles demonstrated that C. procerulus declined in number was accompanied with decline in body size. Food shortage induced the reduction in both number and body size of C. procerulus. On the other hand, the number of S. cycloderus significantly increased. Although some of their prey were reduced, as generalist predators, they alternatively consumed other prey that has increased greatly in number. The trait of S. cycloderus with many eggs has also great potential for population explosion. The numbers of H. griseus and H. eous were not affected by the disturbance, while H. tridens decreased. Shortage of prey organisms caused negative effects on H. tridens compared to H. griseus and H. eous which depend more on seeds. We have been studying ground beetles in Japan, and already have some basic knowledge, such as hind wings, flight ability, feeding habits, reproductive phenology and seasonal activity for 78 key species. Ground beetles are excellent bioindicators. Our bottom up approach by the dissection of ground beetles collected periodically through the year would be essential when we have to face with extreme conditions, such as global warning.

scholarly journals Aging Enhances Indirect Flight Muscle Fiber Performance yet Decreases Flight Ability in Drosophila

2008 ◽  
Vol 95 (5) ◽  
pp. 2391-2401 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark S. Miller ◽  
Panagiotis Lekkas ◽  
Joan M. Braddock ◽  
Gerrie P. Farman ◽  
Bryan A. Ballif ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Muscle Fiber ◽  
Flight Muscle ◽  
Indirect Flight Muscle ◽  
Flight Ability

An Integrated View of Insect Flight Muscle: Genes, Motor Molecules, and Motion

Physiology ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 87-92 ◽  
Author(s):  
David W. Maughan ◽  
Jim O. Vigoreaux
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Genetics ◽  
Power Output ◽  
Flight Muscle ◽  
Insect Flight ◽  
Regulatory Subunit ◽  
Integrative Biology ◽  
Insect Flight Muscle ◽  
Flight System ◽  
Flight Ability ◽  
Muscle Genes

Substituting an alanine for serine in the regulatory subunit of the motor protein myosin dramatically alters Drosophila's flight ability. Power output, at all levels of the flight system, is reduced. This example of deciphering a protein's function by producing malfunctions illustrates the broadening use of molecular genetics in integrative biology.

scholarly journals Growth rate and locomotor performance tradeoff is not universal in birds

PeerJ ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. e8423
Author(s):  
Tao Zhao ◽  
Zhiheng Li
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rate ◽  
Flight Muscle ◽  
Locomotor Performance ◽  
Lower Efficiency ◽  
Flight Ability ◽  
Fast Growing ◽  
Maneuvering Flight ◽  
Evolution Of Birds ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Slow Growing

Though a tradeoff between growth rate and locomotor performance has been proposed, empirical data on this relationship are still limited. Here we statistically analyze the associations of growth rate and flight ability in birds by assessing how growth rate is correlated with three wing parameters of birds: flight muscle ratio, wing aspect ratio, and wing loading. We find that fast-growing birds tended to have higher flight muscle ratios and higher wing loadings than slow-growing birds, which suggests that fast-growing birds may have better takeoff performance, but lower efficiency in maneuvering flight. Accordingly, our findings suggest that the relationship between growth rate and flight ability is more complex than a simple tradeoff. Since the hindlimbs also contribute greatly to the locomotion of birds, future investigations on the relationship between growth rate and hindlimb performance will provide more insights into the evolution of birds.

Enzyme Changes in Flight Muscle Correlated with Aging and Flight Ability in the Male Housefly

Science ◽  
1963 ◽  
Vol 139 (3559) ◽  
pp. 1049-1051 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Rockstein ◽  
K. F. Brandt
Keyword(s):  
Flight Muscle ◽  
Flight Ability ◽  
Enzyme Changes
Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document