Scarabaeine dung beetles are the dominant dung feeding group of insects and are widely used as model organisms in conservation, ecology and developmental biology. Due to the conflicts among 13 recently published phylogenies dealing with the higher-le...
Deep learning has previously shown success in automatically generating morphological traits that carry a phylogenetic signal. In this paper, we explore combining molecular data with deep learning derived morphological traits from images of pinned ins...
To navigate complex terrains, insects use diverse tarsal structures (adhesive pads, claws, spines) to reliably attach to and locomote across substrates. This includes surfaces of variable roughness and inclination, which often require reliable transi...
Maximum likelihood and maximum parsimony are two key methods for phylogenetic tree reconstruction. Under certain conditions, each of these two methods can perform more or less efficiently, resulting in unresolved or disputed phylogenies. We show that...
At rest, beetles fold and tuck their hindwings under the elytra. For flight, the hindwings are deployed through a series of unfolding configurations that are passively driven by flapping forces. The folds lock into place as the wing fully unfolds and...
Vision serves as an essential sensory input for insects but consumes substantial energy resources. The cost to support sensitive photoreceptors has led many insects to develop high visual acuity in only small retinal regions and evolve to move their ...
Journal of the Royal Society, Interface
Mar 1, 2016
We have constructed an insect-computer hybrid legged robot using a living beetle (Mecynorrhina torquata; Coleoptera). The protraction/retraction and levation/depression motions in both forelegs of the beetle were elicited by electrically stimulating ...
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