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Wing beat of Calliphora erythrocephala: Turning axis and gearbox of the wing base (Insecta, Diptera)

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Summary

In flight the wings of the blowfly Calliphora erythrocephala are driven by the indirect dorso-longitudinal (downstroke) and dorso-ventral muscles (upstroke). There are two “turning points” on the ventral wing joint, the anterior and posterior. The former consists of the pleural klöppel and its “fit” on the ventral anterior wing base. The connecting point between the anterior ventral peak of pterale II (wing base sclerite) and the underside of the dorsal end of the pleural wing joint forms the latter. A longitudinal axis going through the anterior and posterior turning point forms the “turning axis” for the wing-beat movements.

The pleural wing joint ends in a heart-shaped structure with three peaks. A groove in the tooth of the ventral radial vein, which is part of the ventral wing base, connects with one of these peaks, where it remains for several downstroke cycles. Cross sections through the stem of the pleural wing joint show a V-shaped configuration. The pull of the first subunit of the pleuro-tergal muscle bends this stem outward like a torsion rod. Inward movement is effected by its own elasticity and the pull of the subalar tendon. Outward movement enables the groove of the tooth of the ventral radial vein to contact one of the peaks if the wing base and the tooth are turned anteriorly by the combined pull of basalar muscles 1 and 2 onto the anterior wing edge. The wing is turned backward by the pull of the pterale III muscle 1 onto the posterior wing edge.

This contact can be used in two ways:

  1. 1.

    If the wing-base elements of one wing meet, the joint will click upward and the groove of the tooth loses its contact with a peak. Thus the downstroke amplitude of this wing will increase and the fly will turn contralaterally from this side where the wing-base elements meet. This movement works like a gear, extending the “wing-drive-independent” downstroke power unilaterally.

  2. 2.

    The joint does not click upward and the groove of the tooth remains in contact with a peak. The downstroke amplitude on this side now decreases and the fly turns ipsilaterally to this side. This would be a wing-beat stop (cf. Miyan and Ewing 1985a, b), which diminishes the wing-drive-independent downstroke power unilaterally. Besides an increase and decrease of flight power, the geometrical angles of attack may also have been altered (Pfau 1985). The upstroke occurs normally, passing over the anterior and posterior turning point — forming a turning axis — during flight regardless of whether contact (1) or (2) is used.

In flies, both right- and left-wing driving systems are coupled morphologically by the scutellum. Even while the stroke movements of the wings are synchronous, the direct muscles on one side of the thorax work independently of those on the other side, i.e., their function is wing-drive-independent.

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Abbreviations

atl :

anterior tergal lever

atp :

anterior turning point

ba :

basalare

b 1 + 2 :

basalar muscles 1 and 2

c :

contact region

co :

costal vein

f :

fit of the klöppel of the ventral radial vein

g 1–3 :

gear mechanism: peak 1, 2, 3

gr :

groove of the tooth of the ventral radial vein

hco :

head of the costal vein

hr :

head of the radial vein

ir :

insertion region of the tergo-pleural muscle

k :

klöppel

l :

ledge

mp :

middle plate

mps :

mechanical pulling spring

ms :

mesoscutum

msp :

mean stroke plane

n :

nob

nr :

notopleural ridge

p :

peak

pl :

pleural wall

ps 1 :

pleuro-sternal muscle 1

pt I :

pterale I

pt I ant :

anterior upper branch of pterale I

pt II :

pterale II

pt II ant :

anterior peak of pterale II

ptl :

posterior tergal lever

ptp :

posterior turning point

pw :

pulling wire

pwj :

pleural wing joint

r :

radial veins

r 1 :

radial vein 1

rt :

resin-containing tendon of the tergo-pleural muscle

ru :

ruler

s :

tripod

sa :

subalar

sem :

scanning electron microscope

sl :

scutellum

st :

subalar tendon

t :

torsion rod

ta :

turning axis

thla :

thoracic longitudinal axis

tp :

tergo-pleural muscle

tr :

transverse ridge

tvr :

tooth of the ventral radial vein

tvr + g :

interaction of the groove of the tooth with one of the peaks of the gear

w :

wing

III 1 :

pterale III muscle 1

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Arbeitsgruppe Nachtigall, Zoologie, Universität des Saarlandes, D-6600, Saarbrücken, Federal Republic of Germany

    Alfred Wisser

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Wisser, A. Wing beat of Calliphora erythrocephala: Turning axis and gearbox of the wing base (Insecta, Diptera). Zoomorphology 107, 359–369 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00312219

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00312219

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