Watson, Gregory Shaun, Cribb, Bronwen W., and Watson, Jolanta Anna (2010) The role of micro/nano channel structuring in repelling water on cuticle arrays of the lacewing. Journal of Structural Biology, 171 (1). pp. 44-51.

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Abstract

Non-wetting surfaces help in the survival of terrestrial and semi-aquatic insects. Some insects encounter wetting by rain, through contact with water collected on foliage, or in ponds, rivers or streams. There is an evolutionary pay-off for such insects to adopt hydrophobic structuring especially on regions that contact water, such as legs or large surface areas such as wings. Here we investigate lacewings which are good candidates for getting trapped to water because of a large wing surface area-to-body mass ratio. The lacewing utilises a variety of structures/mechanisms to contend with water contact. The first level involves small hairs (macrotrichia) that project from veins on the wings and collectively hold up droplets of water above the wing surface. This defence against wetting is aided by longitudinal ridges and troughs along the hair shaft. We show, by coating single hairs with a hydrophobic polymer (similar in hydrophobicity to insect cuticle), that the channels significantly contribute to repel water droplets. Beneath the array of hairs lies a dense netting on the cuticle wing surface which reduces contact with smaller droplets. The study has implications for both insect biology and biomimetic surfaces such as light weight superhydrophobic materials.

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