Flight takeoff behavior of Colorado potato beetle

Abstract

AbstractThe successful flight takeoff of untethered Colorado potato beetles,Leptinotarsa decemlineata(Say) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), consists of a strongly sequenced set of behaviors beginning with site location and followed by expansion of the hind wings, rising of the mesothoracic legs, air lifting, and rising of the prothoracic legs, leading to a low angle flight departure. A series of ablation experiments demonstrated that the antennae, the elytra, the mesothoracic legs, and the prothoracic legs all play a significant role in determining the percentage of successful flight takeoffs, as well as the proportion of upwardversusdownward liftoffs. Flight takeoff of tetheredL.decemlineatais positively stimulated by head winds of increasing speeds up to speeds of slightly more than 5.5 m/s. The absence of tarsal contact does not stimulate flight takeoff inL.decemlineata, but tarsal contact interrupts flight. The flight characteristics during liftoff indicate that this species is an in-phase functionally four-winged insect, probably with the hind pair of wings leading the wing beat. Among Coleoptera, the takeoff ofL.decemlineatawas found to belong to theMelolonthatype (classification of Schneider 1975), because the elytra are active.