Dragonfly wings

The surface of the Hemianax papuensis dragonfly wing is covered by an array of nanopiUars that form a fractal structure (Figure l).This structure enables the surface to retain pockets of air when it comes into contact... 

Figure 1 The surface morphologies of the Hemianaxpapuensis dragonfly wing.

A tendon from the wing region of the dragonfly was dissected and a cross-section with exposed resilin was mounted in PBS such that SPM force measurements could be made. The sample was shown to be 92% resilient [29]. When the technique was applied to recombinant resilin, the approach and retract curves were almost superimposed (Figure 9.18a). Analysis yielded a value... 

Our world can be studied at different levels of magnification. At the macroscopic level, matter is large enough to be seen, measured, and handled. A handful of sand and a glass of water are macroscopic samples of matter. At the micro-scopic level, physical structure is so fine that it can be seen only with a microscope. A biological cell is microscopic, as is the detail on a dragonfly s wing. Beyond the microscopic level is the submicroscopic—the realm of atoms and molecules and an important focus of chemistry. 

But it is not only geodesists who have to occupy themselves with networks also in other technical fields we can discover network structures. The most well-known technical networks are electrical networks, water supply networks, transportation networks, frame networks and communication networks. Even in nature the veins of leaves and wings of the dragonfly show network structures, and perhaps the most well known is the spider s web network. 

Figure 1 Resilin in the wing tendon of a dragonfly, (a) A selected location of resilin in the wing tendon from adult dragonfly (Zyxomma sp) ...

The superhydrophobicity of an insect wing surface and its ability to selfclean are very important factors that contribute to an insect s ability to survive. The nanoarray structures present on the surfaces of some insect wings such as those of the cicada and dragonfly afford the insect antireflective properties, which can assist in protecting them from attack from predators (Watson et al., 2008). The superhydrophobic and self-cleaning properties can assist to keep their surfaces clean and free from contaminants that may... 

Ivanova, E.P., Nguyen, S.H., Webb, H.K., Hasan, J., Truong, V.K., Lamb, R.N., Duan, X., Tobin, M.J., Mahon, RJ., Crawford, R.J., 2013b. Molecular organization of the nanoscale surface structures of the dragonfly Hemianax papuensis wing epicuticle. PLoS One 8, e67893. 

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