Sharpshooter Droplet Dynamics: MicroCT Imaging of the Hindgut Part 3 of 3

Original video: https://youtu.be/IEy9SG34B1g Food consumption and waste elimination are vital functions for living systems. Although how feeding impacts animal form and function has been studied for more than a century since Darwin, how its obligate partner, excretion, controls and constrains animal behavior, size, and energetics remains largely unexplored. Here we study millimeter-scale sharpshooter insects (Cicadellidae) that feed exclusively on a plant’s xylem sap, a nutrient-deficit source (95% water). To eliminate their high-volume excreta, these insects exploit droplet superpropulsion, a phenomenon in which an elastic projectile can achieve higher velocity than the underlying actuator through temporal tuning. We combine coupled-oscillator models, computational fluid dynamics, and biophysical experiments to show that these insects temporally tune the frequency of their anal stylus to the Rayleigh frequency of their surface tension-dominated elastic drops as a single-shot resonance mechanism. Our model predicts that for these tiny insects, the superpropulsion of droplets is energetically cheaper than forming jets, enabling them to survive on an extreme energy-constrained xylem-sap diet. The principles and limits of superpropulsion outlined here can inform designs of energy-efficient self-cleaning structures and soft engines to generate ballistic motions.

This video continues our investigation into the droplet ejection mechanism of sharpshooter insects using advanced imaging techniques. Part 3 focuses on the internal anatomy of the hindgut, visualized through microCT imaging:

(a) A 3D reconstruction providing a side view of the sharpshooter's hindgut.

(b) A 2D cross-sectional side view of the GWSS (Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter) hindgut.

(c) A 2D cross-sectional top view of the GWSS hindgut.

These detailed microCT images offer valuable insights into the structural components involved in the insect's unique droplet ejection process.

Watch part 1: https://youtu.be/Vg3pX08UUW0

Watch part 2: https://youtu.be/0iJXAdjgzz8

Keywords: MicroCT Imaging, Sharpshooter Insect, Hindgut, 3D Reconstruction, Side View, 2D Cross-Section, Top View, Anatomy, Droplet Ejection Mechanism.

Citation:

Challita, E.J., Sehgal, P., Krugner, R. et al. Droplet superpropulsion in an energetically constrained insect. Nat Commun 14, 860 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-36376-5

Published on: 28 February 2023

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