Video shows how moths use their bodies to hover

Last Updated: Thursday, April 18, 2013 - 21:01

London: Super slow-motion footage of a moth in flight has revealed how insects use their bodies to hover.
The moth moves its body by pivoting its abdomen up and down to fine-tune the forces that keep the insect airborne, the BBC reported.

The researchers are studying insect flight in order to "distil the biological principles of flight control ".


As an insect`s wings move through the air, they are held at a slight angle, which deflects the air downward.

This deflection means the air flows faster over the wing than underneath, causing air pressure to build up beneath the wings, while the pressure above the wings is reduced. It is this difference in pressure that produces lift.

Flapping creates an additional forward and upward force known as thrust, which counteracts the insect`s weight and the "drag" of air resistance.


You can imagine this stroke as a very brief downward dive through the air - it momentarily uses the weight of the animal`s own weight in order to move forwards. But because the wings continue to generate lift, the creature remains airborne.



And although they`re relatively big, Dr Dyhr said that they`re "incredibly good at hovering."

The findings are published in the Journal of Experimental Biology.


First Published: Thursday, April 18, 2013 - 21:01

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