Flexural rigidity of hawkmoth antennae depends on the bending direction.

To probe its environment, the flying insect controllably flexes, twists, and maneuvers its antennae by coupling mechanical deformations with the sensory output. We question how the materials properties of insect antennae could influence their performance. A comparative study was conducted on four hawkmoth species: Manduca sexta, Ceratomia catalpae, Manduca quinquemaculata, and Xylophanes tersa.

Dip coating of cylinders with Newtonian fluids.

Hypothesis: The Landau-Levich-Derjaguin (LLD) theory is widely applied to predict the film thickness in the dip-coating process. However, the theory was designed only for flat plates and thin fibers. Fifty years ago, White and Tallmadge attempted to generalize the LLD theory to thick rods using a numerical solution for a static meniscus and the LLD theory to forcedly match their numeric solution with the LLD asymptotics.

Rotating magnetic nanorods detect minute fluctuations of magnetic field.

Magnetic nanorods rotating in a viscous liquid are very sensitive to any ambient magnetic field. We theoretically predicted and experimentally validated the conditions for two-dimensional synchronous and asynchronous rotation as well as three-dimensional precession and tumbling of nanorods in an ambient field superimposed on a planar rotating magnetic field. We discovered that any ambient field stabilizes the synchronous precession of the nanorod so that the nanorod precession can be completely controlled.

Structural and physical determinants of the proboscis-sucking pump complex in the evolution of fluid-feeding insects.

Fluid-feeding insects have evolved a unique strategy to distribute the labor between a liquid-acquisition device (proboscis) and a sucking pump. We theoretically examined physical constraints associated with coupling of the proboscis and sucking pump into a united functional organ. Classification of fluid feeders with respect to the mechanism of energy dissipation is given by using only two dimensionless parameters that depend on the length and diameter of the proboscis food canal, maximum expansion of the sucking pump chamber, and chamber size.