Contrasting Micro/Nano Architecture on Termite Wings: Two Divergent Strategies for Optimising Success of Colonisation Flights

Gregory S Watson; Bronwen W Cribb; Jolanta A Watson

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0024368

Back

Contrasting Micro/Nano Architecture on Termite Wings: Two Divergent Strategies for Optimising Success of Colonisation Flights

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

Contrasting Micro/Nano Architecture on Termite Wings: Two Divergent Strategies for Optimising Success of Colonisation Flights

Gregory S Watson, Bronwen W Cribb and Jolanta A Watson

PLoS One, Vol.6(9), e24368

2011

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0024368

Files and links (2)

pdf

PDF - Published Version (Open Access)2.91 MBDownload View

Published VersionPDF - Published Version (Open Access)CC BY V4.0, Open Access

url

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0024368View

Published Version

Abstract

termite wings

wettability

Many termite species typically fly during or shortly after rain periods. Local precipitation will ensure water will be present when establishing a new colony after the initial flight. Here we show how different species of termite utilise two distinct and contrasting strategies for optimising the success of the colonisation flight. Nasutitermes sp. and Microcerotermes sp. fly during rain periods and adopt hydrophobic structuring/'technologies' on their wings to contend with a moving canvas of droplets in daylight hours. Schedorhinotermes sp. fly after rain periods (typically at night) and thus do not come into contact with mobile droplets. These termites, in contrast, display hydrophilic structuring on their wings with a small scale roughness which is not dimensionally sufficient to introduce an increase in hydrophobicity. The lack of hydrophobicity allows the termite to be hydrophilicly captured at locations where water may be present in large quantities; sufficient for the initial colonization period. The high wettability of the termite cuticle (Schedorhinotermes sp.) indicates that the membrane has a high surface energy and thus will also have strong attractions with solid particles. To investigate this the termite wings were also interacted with both artificial and natural contaminants in the form of hydrophilic silicon beads of various sizes, 4 µm C18 beads and three differently structured pollens. These were compared to the superhydrophobic surface of the planthopper (Desudaba psittacus) and a native Si wafer surface. The termite cuticle demonstrated higher adhesive interactions with all particles in comparison to those measured on the plant hopper.

Details

Title: Contrasting Micro/Nano Architecture on Termite Wings: Two Divergent Strategies for Optimising Success of Colonisation Flights
Authors: Gregory S Watson (Author) - James Cook University
Bronwen W Cribb (Author) - University of Queensland
Jolanta A Watson (Author) - James Cook University
Publication details: PLoS One, Vol.6(9), e24368
Publisher: Public Library of Science
Date published: 2011
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0024368
ISSN: 1932-6203
Copyright note: Copyright © 2011 Watson et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Organisation Unit: School of Science and Engineering - Legacy; University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; School of Science, Technology and Engineering
Language: English
Record Identifier: 99449076602621
Output Type: Journal article

Metrics

173 File views/ downloads

785 Record Views

18 Times Cited - Web of Science

InCites Highlights

These are selected metrics from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool, related to this output

Collaboration types: Domestic collaboration
Web Of Science research areas: Chemistry, Physical

UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This output has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:

Source: InCites