Biomimetic research on beetle forewings in twenty years: Internal structure, model and integrated honeycomb plates

Abstract

This work reviewed the twenty years of history that the author is engaged in the biomimetic research on beetle forewings: at prophase (1997–2007), that the beetle forewings possessing the lightweight structures with a core layer composing of the hollow trabeculae and voids and variable cross-sectional sealing edge was mainly proposed, which can obtain the required bending modulus and moment of inertia; the A. dichotoma forewings are non-equiangular laminated structure and have the anisotropic tensile strength; the distribution of trabeculae in whole forewings was obtained for the first time, and the peeling test of forewings was performed, which experimentally demonstrated that the root of trabeculae have the function of converting the stripping failure to fiber tensile fracture, thus it has strong anti-stripping mechanical properties; meanwhile, a model of trabeculae with the core of protein and three dimensional structure model of trabeculae (hollow)-honeycomb was presented at the same time, the different design methods and biological significance of forewing structure in male and female A. dichotoma and P. Inclinatus were illuminated; at metaphase (2008–2015), the preparation technology of integrated honeycomb plates was mainly developed, the concept and model of full integrated honeycomb plates was proposed, the influence of the multi-body forming, short fiber reinforcement material, processing holes and trabeculae on the mechanical behavior of biomimetic samples were qualitatively investigated, the superiority of the biomimetic integrated honeycomb plates was confirmed; the influence of the previous research results on peers was pointed out, meanwhile some problems existing at prophase and the latest research progress (2015–2017) were briefly introduced. The work not only fully verified the first induction of author toward the beetle forewings with lightweight and high-strength structure, but also incisively and vividly showed the elegant appearance of beetle forewings as the paragon of lightweight and high-strength structural optimization design.