The Biomechanics of Insect Flight
eBook - PDF

The Biomechanics of Insect Flight

Form, Function, Evolution

  1. English
  2. PDF
  3. Available on iOS & Android
eBook - PDF

The Biomechanics of Insect Flight

Form, Function, Evolution

About this book

From the rain forests of Borneo to the tenements of Manhattan, winged insects are a conspicuous and abundant feature of life on earth. Here, Robert Dudley presents the first comprehensive explanation of how insects fly. The author relates the biomechanics of flight to insect ecology and evolution in a major new work of synthesis.


The book begins with an overview of insect flight biomechanics. Dudley explains insect morphology, wing motions, aerodynamics, flight energetics, and flight metabolism within a modern phylogenetic setting. Drawing on biomechanical principles, he describes and evaluates flight behavior and the limits to flight performance. The author then takes the next step by developing evolutionary explanations of insect flight. He analyzes the origins of flight in insects, the roles of natural and sexual selection in determining how insects fly, and the relationship between flight and insect size, pollination, predation, dispersal, and migration. Dudley ranges widely--from basic aerodynamics to muscle physiology and swarming behavior--but his focus is the explanation of functional design from evolutionary and ecological perspectives.


The importance of flight in the lives of insects has long been recognized but never systematically evaluated. This book addresses that shortcoming. Robert Dudley provides an introduction to insect flight that will be welcomed by students and researchers in biomechanics, entomology, evolution, ecology, and behavior.

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Yes, you can access The Biomechanics of Insect Flight by Robert Dudley in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Biological Sciences & Biology. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright Page
  4. CONTENTS
  5. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  6. SYMBOLS
  7. CHAPTER ONE: Flight and the Pterygote Insecta
  8. CHAPTER TWO: Morphology of the Flight Apparatus
  9. CHAPTER THREE: Kinematics and Aerodynamics of Flight
  10. CHAPTER FOUR: Energetics and Flight Physiology
  11. CHAPTER FIVE: Stability, Maneuverability, and Maximum Flight Performance
  12. CHAPTER SIX: Evolution of Flight and Flightlessness
  13. CHAPTER SEVEN: Flight and Insect Diversification
  14. CHAPTER EIGHT: Future Directions in Insect Flight Biomechanics
  15. GLOSSARY
  16. REFERENCES
  17. INDEX