Induced airflow in flying insects II . Measurement of induced flow Sanjay

Introduction Like rotating propeller blades, flapping wings of an insect draw air from above the wing and generate flight forces by imparting momentum to this air. Thus, a natural consequence of any flapping activity is an induced airflow along the body of the insect. This flow envelops the flying insect and influences many flight-related physiological and sensory processes. and various mass exchange processes such as oxygen, carbon dioxide and water (Wasserthal, 2001), are all profoundly affected by the structure of such flows. Thus, there exists a biophysical feedback relationship between the wing kinematics and flight-related sensory-motor physiology that is entirely mediated by the external air medium. One important biological consequence of induced airflow is its influence on mechanosensory and chemosensory organs, which receive their stimulus via the surrounding fluid medium. For example, the flightless silkworm moth Bombyx