Aquatic Sciences Meeting, Albuquerque 2001

PC10 Ecological Fluxes: Organisms, Atmospheres, Oceans, Lakes, and Rivers

Date: Wednesday, February 14, 2001

Location: Southwest Hall

Botz, J, T, University of Kansas, Lawrence, USA, jbotz@ukans.edu

Loudon, C, , University of Kansas, Lawrence, USA, loudon@ukans.edu

SURFACE ENERGY CHANGES DURING WATER STRIDER LOCOMOTION

The way in which a mechanical disturbance propagates at a liquid surface will affect both communication between interface-inhabiting insects and the ability of such insects to generate forces for locomotion. Using a novel technique, the mechanical energy transferred to a liquid surface by water striders was determined. To do this, each insect was placed on a milk surface, and an array of laser lines was directed onto the milk. Based on the displacement of the laser lines during the insect's locomotion, the changes in the three-dimensional shape of the milk surface were determined. The topography of the milk surface can be used to calculate the change in surface energy and the Froude efficiency of the water strider's forward movement.

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Aquatic Sciences Meeting, Albuquerque 2001

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