Flight Maneuver of a Damselfly with Phase Modulation of the Wings
Journal
Integrative and Comparative Biology
Journal Volume
61
Journal Issue
1
Pages
20-36
Date Issued
2021
Author(s)
Abstract
We developed a numerical model for four-wing self-propulsion to calculate effectively the flight velocity generated with varied wing motions, which satisfactorily verified biological experiments. Through this self-propulsion model, we analyzed the flight velocity of a damselfly (Matrona cyanoptera) at varied phases. The results show that after phase modulation of the wings, the aerodynamic performance of the forewing (FW) is affected by the incoming flow and an effective angle of attack, whereas that of the hindwing (HW) is dominated by the vortex interaction and induced flow generated by the shed vortex of the FW. Cooperating with the flow interaction, in stable flight, the HW in the lead phase has a larger vertical velocity, whereas the FW in the lead phase has a larger horizontal velocity. Regarding the aerodynamic efficiency, the FW in the lead phase has greater horizontal efficiency, whereas the HW in the lead phase has greater vertical efficiency; the overall efficiency does not vary with the phase. This work interprets that a dragonfly adopts the HW in the lead phase to generate a larger lift, thus supporting the larger body weight, whereas a damselfly adopts the FW in the lead phase to have a greater forward velocity, which can supplement the lack of flapping frequency. ? 2021 Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.
Subjects
animal
biological model
biomechanics
flying
motion
Odonata
wing
Animals
Biomechanical Phenomena
Flight, Animal
Models, Biological
Motion
Wings, Animal
Type
journal article