Why can mosquitoes fly in the dark?

2020.5.28　Why can mosquitoes fly in the dark?

The international research team, including Assistant Professor Toshiyuki Nakata in the Graduate School of Engineering at Chiba University, has proposed a new mechanism for detecting floors and walls by sensing airflow fluctuations generated by mosquitoes, in a paper published on Science on May 8, 2020. The Royal Veterinary College, the University of Brighton, and the University of Leeds are participating in this international collaborative research team.

シミュレーション画像 — Airflow near the ground caused by mosquitoes flapping their wings. Mosquitoes are able to sense fluctuations in airflow hitting obstacles and fly away from floors and walls. Red, yellow, and blue indicate the degree of airflow variability affected by the floor.

Reference

Aerodynamic imaging by mosquitoes inspires a surface detector for autonomous flying vehicles, Toshiyuki Nakata, Nathan Phillips, Patrício Simões, Ian J Russell, Jorn A Cheney, Simon M Walker, Richard J Bomphrey, Science, DOI:https://science.sciencemag.org/cgi/doi/10.1126/science.aaz9634
Press Release from The Royal Veterinary College
Press Release from Chiba University (Japanese)

Contact

Saori Tanaka, Communications Officer
email: saori.tanaka@chiba-u.jp