An organic junction between the vein and membrane of the dragonfly wing

Abstract

A dragonfly wing consists of membranes and both longitudinal and cross veins. We observed the microstructure cross-section at several locations in the dragonfly wing using environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM). The organic nature of the junction between the vein and the membrane was clearly identifiable. The membrane was divided into two layers, the upper epidermis and the lower epidermis. These layers extend around the sandwich structure vein, and combine with the adjacent membrane at a symmetrical location along the vein. Thus, we defined this as an organic junction between the vein and the membranes. The organic junction is able to form a tight corrugation angle, which dramatically increases both the warping rigidity and the strength of the wing, but not the torsional rigidity. The torsional deformation is primarily controlled by the microstructure of the longitudinal veins, and is based on the relative rotation angle between the epidermal layer and the inner layer of the vein that forms the zigzag section.