Flight Take-off Research Articles

Lethal and sublethal effects of flupyradifurone and cyantraniliprole on two neotropical stingless bee species.

Stingless bees are important pollinators in tropical regions, but their survival and behavior have been impacted by various factors, including exposure to insecticides. Here, we evaluated the lethal and sublethal effects of commercial formulations of two widely used insecticides, flupyradifurone (FPF formulation), and cyantraniliprole (CY formulation), on Melipona beecheii and Nannotrigona perilampoides. The study involved oral exposure of bees to insecticides, calculation of the lethal concentration (LC50) and the lethal time (LT50), and evaluation of walking and flight take-off activities. The LC50 values showed that the largest bee, M. beecheii, was more sensitive than N. perilampoides to both insecticides and that the FPF formulation had faster lethal effects in both species (N. perilampoides, 9.6 h; M. beecheii, 5 h) compared to the effects of the CY formulation (N. perilampoides, 17 h; M. beecheii, 24.7 h). Sublethal concentrations (LC50/10 and LC50/100) of both insecticides affected walking and flight take-off activities. After 6-24 h of exposure, both FPF and CY formulations significantly reduced the mean walking speed of N. perilampoides (0.962-1.402 cm/s) and M. beecheii (2.026-2.589 cm/s) compared to the control groups (N. perilampoides: 1.648-1.941 cm/s; M. beecheii: 2.759-3.471 cm/s). Additionally, the FPF and the CY formulation impaired individual flight take-off in both species. This study provides the first comprehensive evaluation of the lethal and sublethal effects of flupyradifurone and cyantraniliprole on M. beecheii and N. perilampoides, offering valuable information for future research on insecticide toxicity in stingless bees.

Research on Check-In Baggage Flow Prediction for Airport Departure Passengers Based on Improved PSO-BP Neural Network Combination Model

Accurate forecasting of passenger checked baggage traffic is crucial for efficient and intelligent allocation and optimization of airport service resources. A systematic analysis of the influencing factors and prediction algorithms for the baggage flow is rarely included in existing studies. To accurately capture the trend of baggage flow, a combined PCC-PCA-PSO-BP baggage flow prediction model is proposed. This study applies the model to predict the departing passengers’ checked baggage flow at Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport in China. First, in the preprocessing of the data, multiple interpolation demonstrates a better numerical interpolation effect compared to mean interpolation, regression interpolation, and expectation maximization (EM) interpolation in cases of missing data. Second, in terms of the influencing factors, unlike factors that affect the airport passenger flow, the total retail sales of consumer goods have a weak relationship with the baggage flow. The departure passenger flow and flight takeoff and landing sorties play a dominant role in the baggage flow. The railway passenger flow, highway passenger flow, and months have statistically significant effects on the changes in the baggage flow. Factors such as holidays and weekends also contribute to the baggage flow alternation. Finally, the PCC-PCA-PSO-BP model is proposed for predicting the baggage flow. This model exhibits superior performance in terms of the network convergence speed and prediction accuracy compared to four other models: BP, PCA-BP, PSO-BP, and PCA-PSO-BP. This study provides a novel approach for predicting the flow of checked baggage for airport departure passengers.

Toxicity and Sublethal Effects of Piper hispidinervum Essential Oil on Behavioral and Physiological Responses of Sitophilus zeamais Populations.

This study aimed to evaluate the toxicity of Piper hispidinervum essential oil (PHEO) against 11 Brazilian populations of Sitophilus zeamais (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). The effects of sublethal doses of PHEO on the behavior (walking and flying), respiration, and population growth (ri) of the insect populations were investigated. PHEO toxicity was determined through concentration-mortality bioassays, with mortality curves established using increasing PHEO concentrations ranging from 140.00 to 1000.00 μL kg-1. Behavior was evaluated based on walking distance, walking time, walking speed, walking time proportion, flight height, and flight takeoff success. Respiration was measured via the respiratory rate, while population growth (ri) was assessed through the instantaneous growth rate. All 11 populations of S. zeamais were susceptible to PHEO, showing no signs of resistance. The populations exhibited varying behavioral and physiological responses to sublethal exposure to PHEO, indicating different mitigation strategies. The results confirm that PHEO possesses insecticidal potential for controlling S. zeamais populations. However, the observed behavioral and physiological responses should be considered when establishing control measures in pest management programs for stored products.

An Effective Fluorescent Marker for Tracking the Dispersal of Small Insects with Field Evidence of Mark-Release-Recapture of Trissolcus japonicus.

Understanding insect dispersal helps us predict the spread of insect pests and their natural enemies. Dispersal can be studied by marking, releasing, and recapturing insects, known as mark-release-recapture (MRR). MRR techniques should be convenient, economical, and persistent. Currently, there are limited options for marking small parasitoids that do not impact their fitness and dispersal ability. We evaluated commercially available fluorescent markers used in forensics. These fluorophores can easily be detected by ultraviolet (UV) light, requiring minimal costs and labor to process the marked specimens. This fluorophore marking technique was evaluated with the pest Drosophila suzukii and three parasitoids: Trissolcus japonicus, Pachycrepoideus vindemiae, Ganaspis brasiliensis (=G. kimorum). We evaluated the persistence of the marks on all the insects over time and examined the parasitoids for impacts on longevity, parasitism, locomotor activity, and flight take-off. The green fluorophore marker persisted for over 20 days on all four species. Marking generally did not consistently reduce the survival, parasitism rate, locomotor activity, or take-off of the parasitoids tested. Marked T. japonicus were recaptured in the field up to 100 m away from the release point and three weeks after release, indicating that this technique is a viable method for studying parasitoid dispersal.

MPACT OF WEATHER CONDITIONS ON FLIGHTS AND AIRCRAFT

Examine the effects of three phases of flight—takeoff and climb, enroute, descent, and landing and five different forms of unfavorable weather—fog, wind shear, thunderstorm, icing, and snow on aircraft operations and accidents. Methods: collect statistically up-to-date data and compare the data to estimate the impact of the various meteorological conditions on flights and the dangers of flight incidents. Use EJM to establish expert systems to report the impact of various weather conditions on flights. Results: evaluate the impact of weather events on flights and the necessity of prevention systems. Discussion: define the need of advanced numerical modeling techniques of time in Air Traffic Management systems.

BIO24: Reducing Risk of Barotrauma in Donor Lungs During Transport

Background: The journey donor lungs take after being procured on the way to the recipient often involves the use of air transportation, subjecting the organ to different altitudes. During takeoff and at cruising altitudes, decreased atmospheric pressures lead to increased relative airway pressures, increasing the risk for barotrauma. While this may be due to underinflation during procurement, the risk of barotrauma likely still exists given the subjective nature of the process and variability between surgeons and centers. Methods: Using porcine lungs (n=3), the airway pressure of donor lungs in simulated flight takeoff and landing was actively controlled using a novel preservation system and measured with calibrated gauges. Lungs were prepared using 2L preservation solution at 4°C in the inner bag and 2L saline at 4°C in the middle bag. A modified 3 bag system allowed for the trachea to be connected to pneumatic circuit designed to maintain target airway pressures of 12-15 cmH2O per the ISHLT consensus statement. Parameters for simulated takeoff and landing (1,000ft/min), peak altitude (8,000ft), and time at peak altitude (6 hours) were chosen to reflect the worst-case scenario. Results: All airway pressures remained within 12-15 cmH2O (±1 cmH2O) following a maximum of 5-minute stabilization time after transitioning between stable ambient pressures. This demonstrates the ability of the system to maintain airway pressures within this range at pressures up to 8000ft (worst-case for pressurized aircraft cabin). During simulated takeoff and landing scenarios, all airway pressures remained within 10-20 cmH2O at 1000ft. Without active pressure control, airway pressures may increase above 30 cmH2O. Conclusions: Airway pressures during flight remained within the intended range using a novel preservation system for donor lungs. Without active control using the systems, airway pressure of lungs are subjected to unsafe levels, which may lead to suboptimal postoperative outcomes.

Do Different Hurdle Heights Alter Important Spatiotemporal Variables in Hurdle Clearance?

The aim of this study was to determine whether important spatiotemporal variables in hurdle clearance change with different hurdle heights. Twelve male hurdlers (mean height, 1.75 ± 0.04 m) cleared hurdles set at different heights [10% higher (High) and 10% lower (Low) than the center of mass (CM)]; images were captured by six high-speed cameras, and each spatiotemporal variable was calculated. Thereafter, the difference in each spatiotemporal variable between High and Low and the relationship between the mean horizontal velocity from takeoff to landing [Hurdle clearance velocity (HC-v)] and each spatiotemporal variable were examined. Our findings indicated that values for flight time, flight time from hurdle to landing (2nd flight time), clearance time, release height on takeoff, peak height of the CM, and the difference in landing distance were greater in the High condition than in the Low condition. Moreover, a low rate of deceleration on takeoff and short 2nd flight time, clearance distance, and takeoff distance were more strongly related to HC-v in the condition High, whereas a low rate of deceleration on landing, short flight time from takeoff to hurdle (1st flight time), high release height on landing, and touchdown height on landing were more strongly related to HC-v in the Low condition. Therefore, coaches should consider these changes in spatiotemporal variables when changing hurdle heights based on age group or event. It should also be noted that, even when the hurdle heights are the same, the spatiotemporal variables that should be considered may differ depending on the height of the hurdler.

Impact of Runway Surface Wind on Afternoon and Night Flight Operation at Linzhi Airport

The frequent occurrence of strong tailwind and crosswind on the runway of Linzhi Airport is an important factor affecting the safety of flight take-off and landing. In order to correctly understand the impact of the ground wind field on flight operation and safety, automatic weather observing system (AWOS) data has been adopted in this paper, combined with the aircraft performance, airline dispatching and ATC control. The statistical characteristics of the flight operation security of wind field on runway surface of Linzhi Airport were analyzed. The results show that runway wind in afternoon period (14:00-19:59)-in most months-can meet the conditions of flight operation under the condition of reasonable the runway in use; in a few months, under some conditions , part of the time can meet flight operation requirement. The midnight period (20:00-23:59): the runway wind in 12 months of the year meets the requirement for flight operation.

Behavior and gut bacteria of Partamona helleri under sublethal exposure to a bioinsecticide and a leaf fertilizer

The exposure of bees to agrochemicals during foraging and feeding has been associated with their population decline. Sublethal exposure to agrochemicals can affect behavior and the microbiota. Gut microbiota is associated with insect nutritional health, immunocompetence, and is essential for neutralizing the damage caused by pathogens and xenobiotics. Research on the effect of the bioinsecticides and fertilizers on the microbiota of bees remains neglected. In this study, we assessed the sublethal effect of both bioinsecticide spinosad and the fertilizer copper sulfate (CuSO4) on the behavior and gut microbiota in forager adults of the stingless bee Partamona helleri (Friese), which is an important pollinator in the Neotropical region. Behavioral assays and gut microbiota profiles were assessed on bees orally exposed to estimated LC5 values for spinosad and CuSO4. The microbiota were characterized through 16S rRNA gene target sequencing. Acute and oral sublethal exposure to spinosad and CuSO4 did not affect the overall activity, flight take-off, and food consumption. However, CuSO4 decreased bee respiration rate and copper accumulated in exposed bees. Exposure to spinosad increased the proportional abundance of the genus Gilliamella, but CuSO4 did not alter the composition of the gut microbiota. In conclusion, sublethal exposure to CuSO4 induces changes in respiration, and spinosad changes the abundance of gut microorganisms of P. helleri.

Tradeoff between triglyceride consumption and ovariole development in Plutella xylostella (L.) released in mixed-host environments

After exposure to mixed environments with multiple hosts, the frequency of flight take-offs for Plutella xylostella (L.) is known to increase with a concomitant decrease in female fecundity. The objective of the present study was to elucidate the physiological mechanism underlying the increased flight activity and decreased fecundity of P. xylostella in mixed-host environments. We measured ovariole length, and triglyceride and vitellogenin (Vg) content in P. xylostella females after they were released into different host environments consisting of either a single host (Brassica campestris, Brassica oleracea or Brassica juncea) or a mixture of all three hosts. Our results indicated that ovariole length varied significantly between female adults from different host environments. Females from the B. campestris environment had the longest ovarioles, whereas those from the mixed environment had the shortest ones. A negative correlation was found between ovariole length and the flight take-off frequency of P. xylostella adults. Additionally, there were significant differences in the triglyceride content of P. xylostella females from different host environments. Our data revealed that more triglyceride was consumed by P. xylostella female adults from B. oleracea and the mixed environments than those from environments containing only B. campestris or B. juncea. In contrast, the relative Vg content in P. xylostella females from the mixed environment was lower than that in females from the B. campestris-, B. juncea- or B. oleracea-only environments. In conclusion, the mixed environment caused increased consumption of available energy resources (triglyceride) at the cost of retarding ovarian development and decreasing the amount of Vg produced.

Autonomous Flight Take-off in Flapping Wing Aerial Vehicles

This paper presents the design and dynamic simulation of a jumping mechanism for flight initiation in flapping wing aerial vehicles to enhance their autonomous mobility. It is inspired by avian flyers that start flight by jumping using their hind limbs. A 4-bar linkage that performs the prescribed take-off maneuvers has been geometrically designed using dimensional synthesis by motion generation. The kinematic dimensions obtained thereof have been ascertained analytically. A magnetic latching solenoid actuator and its corresponding transmission mechanism has been proposed for jumping actuation due to its compact structure, and low power consumption with no heat nor electrical noise generation. After take-off, the necessity to sustain the aerial vehicle airborne by providing adequate supportive forces at low air speeds has been demonstrated by the prospect of unsteady aerodynamics. Fluid-structure interaction has been analyzed by co-simulation between ADAMSⓇ and MATLABⓇ/Simulink. The designed legs give an inclined take-off of about 64° and an initial speed of almost 2m/s with an angular deflection of 110° between the leg segments. Flight performance indicates an increase in lift/drag ratios with in both flapping rate and forward velocity up to some limit. The results also compared favorably with those from wind tunnel tests and previous analysis of related work. They all exhibited an increase in wing efficiency with decreasing mean angles of attack as the air vehicle approaches stable flight.

Research on Aviation Hub from Perspective of Flight Take-off and Landing Waveforms

To build and form a large-scale hub airport with important international and regional influence is an important symbol for China to step into the group of civil aviation powers. An in-depth analysis was performed centering on the core function of hub airports — flight connection. Flight take-off and landing waveforms at typical hub airports in the world were collected, sorted and studied to make a comparison with domestic airports. Finally, the reasons that affect the operation of hub airports were analyzed from six aspects, including geographic location, flight time resources, resident airlines, on-time performance, transfer facilities and process services, and policy guidance.

Jet Engines – The New Masters of Advanced Flight Control

Abstract ANTICIPATED UNITED STATES CONGRESS ACT should lead to reversing a neglected duty to the people by supporting FAA induced bill to civilize classified military air combat technology to maximize flight safety of airliners and cargo jet transports, in addition to FAA certifying pilots to master Jet-Engine Steering (“JES”) as automatic or pilot recovery when Traditional Aerodynamic-only Flight Control (“TAFC”) fails to prevent a crash and other related damages [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42]. Replacement of propeller driven air vehicles with jet engines marks the first jet-engine historical revolution. Yet designers of TAFC still a priori arrest jet engines to provide only brute force forward – a practice leading to wrong freezing of wings, tails, canards, landing gear, airframe and avionics prior to selection of off-the-shelf jet engine to fit that non-integrated design. A second jet-engine revolution is currently in. It originated by failures of TAFC to function and prevent catastrophes especially in post-stall flight domains, takeoff and landing, which mark the JES-Revolution. Full scale JES implementation started in 1986 in the U.S. by YF-22 design [24, 31, 32, 33, 34]. Three years later the YF-22 prototype was selected over the YF-23 that lacked IPA-78402 JES Technologies [31] like 60+ to 1 kill-ratio advantage during WVR air combat – a revolution gradually followed by RUSSIA, CHINA, INDIA, JAPAN and South KOREA [20, 21, 28]. Civilizing JES to maximize future passengers flight safety by preventing various airlines catastrophes [8] had been successfully first flight tested by a subscale JES-Boeing-727 under U.S. FAA support [8, 25]. Pro and cons of military vs. civil JES-technologies are presented by this editorial.

Unintended Insulin Pump Delivery in Hyperbaric Conditions.

Unintended pump insulin delivery was reported to occur as a consequence of decreased atmospheric pressure, probably mediated by air bubble formation and the expansion of existing bubbles. This observation has been used to explain some hypoglycemic episodes occurring in patients on insulin pump treatment in between 1 and 1 h 45 min after the flight takeoff. New models of insulin pumps have been introduced in the market, most of them are waterproof certified. It is not clear if in these new pumps the influence of atmospheric pressure changes on the insulin delivery is still present. Moreover, there are no evidences related to the insulin pump operations in hyperbaric conditions, like as during diving activities. Our aim is therefore to verify the eventual variation of insulin pump delivery determined by atmospheric pressure changes in hyperbaric conditions. Three new models of insulin pumps were tested in hyperbaric conditions at a flow rate of 2 U/h. Atmospheric pressure variation affected pump insulin release. An increase in the atmospheric pressure from 1 to 1.3 atmosphere (ATA) induced a decrease of pump basal insulin release (about -0.2 U/10 min); conversely, when the atmospheric pressure returned from 1.3 to 1 ATA, an unintended insulin delivery was observed (about +0.3 U/10 min). This phenomenon appeared to be independent of the insulin pump rate and dependent on the presence of air bubbles within the insulin tube setting and cartridge. Unintended insulin delivery driven by atmospheric pressure changes in hyperbaric conditions occurred in the new insulin pumps available. Patients should pay attention to possible variation of insulin rate during the flight or during diving activities.

Leaf Fertilizers Affect Survival and Behavior of the Neotropical Stingless Bee Friesella schrottkyi (Meliponini: Apidae: Hymenoptera).

The ongoing concern about bee decline has largely focused on honey bees and neonicotinoid insecticides, while native pollinators such as Neotropical stingless bees and agrochemicals such as other insecticide groups, pesticides in general, and fertilizers-especially leaf fertilizers-remain neglected as potential contributors to pollination decline. In an effort to explore this knowledge gap, we assessed the lethal and sublethal behavioral impact of heavy metal-containing leaf fertilizers in a native pollinator of ecological importance in the Neotropics: the stingless bee Friesella schrottkyi (Friese). Two leaf fertilizers-copper sulfate (24% Cu) and a micronutrient mix (Arrank L: 5% S, 5% Zn, 3% Mn, 0.6% Cu, 0.5% B, and 0.06% Mo)-were used in oral and contact exposure bioassays. The biopesticide spinosad and water were used as positive and negative controls, respectively. Copper sulfate compromised the survival of stingless bee workers, particularly with oral exposure, although less than spinosad under contact exposure. Sublethal exposure to both leaf fertilizers at their field rates also caused significant effects in exposed workers. Copper sulfate enhanced flight take-off on stingless bee workers, unlike workers exposed to the micronutrient mix. There was no significant effect of leaf fertilizers on the overall activity and walking behavior of worker bees. No significant effect was observed for the respiration rate of worker bees under contact exposure, but workers orally exposed to the micronutrient mix exhibited a reduced respiration rate. Therefore, leaf fertilizers do affect F. schrottkyi , what may also occur with other stingless bees, potentially compromising their pollination activity deserving attention.

Reduced-risk insecticides in Neotropical stingless bee species: impact on survival and activity

As honeybees are the main pollinator subject to an intense research regarding effects of pesticides, other ecologically important native bee pollinators have received little attention in ecotoxicology and risk assessment of pesticides in general, and insecticides in particular, some of which are perceived as reduced-risk compounds. Here, the impact of three reduced-risk insecticides – azadirachtin, spinosad and chlorantraniliprole – was assessed in two species of stingless bees, Partamona helleri and Scaptotrigona xanthotrica ,w hich are important native pollinators in Neotropical America. The neonicotinoid imidacloprid was used as a positive control. Spinosad exhibited high oral and contact toxicities in adult workers of both species at the recommended label rates, with median survival times (LT50s) ranging from 1 to 4 h, whereas these estimates were below 15 min for imidacloprid. Azadirachtin and chlorantraniliprole exhibited low toxicity at the recommended label rates, with negligible mortality that did not allow LT50 estimation. Sublethal behavioural assessments of these two insecticides indicated that neither one of them affected the overall group activity of workers of the two species. However, both azadirachtin and chlorantraniliprole impaired individual flight take-off of P. helleri and S. xanthotrica worker bees, which may compromise foraging activity, potentially leading to reduced colony survival. These findings challenge the common perception of non-target safety of reduced-risk insecticides and bioinsecticides, particularly regarding native pollinator species.

Communication and Collaboration Among Heterogeneous Unmanned Systems Using SAE JAUS Standard Formats and Protocols

The Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division Newport (NUWCDIVNPT) and Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) completed a successful at-sea exercise with autonomous UAS and UUV systems demonstrating communication and collaboration. The exercise represented for the first time the use of standard protocols and formats that effectively support cross-domain unmanned system operations. Four man-portable Iver2 UUVs operating in coordinated missions autonomously collected environmental data, which was compressed in-stride, re-formatted, and exfiltrated via UAS relay for display and tactical decision making. Two UAS with autonomous flight take-off and mission execution were sequenced to serve as ISR platforms and to support communications as RF relays for the UUVs performing Intelligence Preparation of the Environment missions. Two Command and Control nodes ashore provided unmanned system tasking and re-tasking, and they served to host and display both geo-positional data and status for UAS and UUV vehicles during the operational scenarios run during the exercise. The SAE Joint Architecture for Unmanned Systems (JAUS) standards were used for all message traffic between shore-based C2 nodes, UAS, and UUVs active in the exercise area. Development for this project highlighted both the strengths and shortfalls of JAUS and captured the requirements for moving forward in effective cross-domain communications that support distributed, agile C2 nodes to meet evolving CONOPS for growing unmanned system presence and mission roles. The JAUS architecture was introduced to the NUWC and GTRI unmanned systems though an instantiation of the Mission Oriented Operating Suite (MOOS) autonomy framework on secondary CPUs integrated into the Iver2 UUVs and the GTRI UAS. This work represents a critical step in communications for networking of heterogeneous unmanned systems and establishes a solid platform for alignment of development and ongoing programs.

Diagnose the unreliability during flight takeoff

The study is to promote flight safety level by telling the pilots to diagnose the unreliability by observing the previous accidents. Some similar airplane accidents are occurring repeatedly, and both pilots and organisations should be aware. The good skills of operating aircraft may come from the better learning from the crashes. The study method was developed as events analysis systematically on related air accidents. It showed that safer flights can be reached by education in organisations or individually by understanding the digital complexity of flying, which may go beyond the limit of the designed conditions. The symptoms were discussed about the rejected takeoff. The recognition of unreliability among hardware, software, humans and organisations is the first step to improve safety procedures. The method developed here will alert and equip the pilots with skills mentally, and interactively with computer applications in aero-technology.

First Berlin Heart EXCOR Pediatric VAD Interhospital Transports of Nonambulatory Patients with the Ikus Stationary Driver

Ventricular assist devices (VADs) are increasingly being used in pediatric patients to support cardiac failure. As more centers adopt this technology, there may be a need to transport these patients over long distances to facilitate patient care and organ transplantation. Food and Drug Administration indications for use state only that the patient must be a candidate for transplantation and does not place restrictions on the transplant capabilities of the implanting medical center. Nontransplanting institutions are able to use this technology with a predetermined agreement to transfer the patient to a partnering transplant center. We report the first two cases of interhospital air and ground transport of nonambulatory or intubated pediatric (<13 kg) patients supported by Berlin Heart EXCOR pediatric VADs and Ikus stationary drivers. We present our protocol for transporting this delicate patient population. In addition, we discuss important challenges encountered on these operations regarding vehicle transfers and the management of vehicle power supply. These two cases demonstrate that the transportation of pediatric patients on Berlin Heart VADs is feasible and safe and should be considered a treatment option in certain situations.

Wind as an Abiotic Factor of Colorado Potato Beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) Flight Take-Off Activity Under Field Conditions

The flight take-off activity of Colorado potato beetles, Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), was significantly higher at a landscape-protected than at semiexposed and exposed sites in a 2-yr field study. In both years, mean daylight temperature, solar radiation, and relative humidity were generally similar at all sites, but wind speed was lower at the protected site than at the exposed sites. Results suggest that wind was the limiting abiotic factor for flight take-off at the exposed site. Caged beetles exposed to constant wind speeds of 3.4, 4.7, and 7.0 m/s showed a significant corresponding decrease in number of flight take-off. There was no cumulative effect of wind exposure on the readiness of the beetles to fly, suggesting that wind acts as a physical barrier to flight take-off. It should be possible to reduce Colorado potato beetle flight dispersal by selecting fields most exposed to wind over landscape-protected fields when rotating potato, Solanum tuberosum L., crops.