title: Asymmetric hindwing foldings in rove beetles.
abstract: Foldable wings of insects are the ultimate deployable structures and have attracted the interest of aerospace engineering scientists as well as entomologists. Rove beetles are known to fold their wings in the most sophisticated ways that have right-left asymmetric patterns. However, the specific folding process and the reason for this asymmetry remain unclear. This study reveals how these asymmetric patterns emerge as a result of the folding process of rove beetles. A high-speed camera was used to reveal the details of the wing-folding movement. The results show that these characteristic asymmetrical patterns emerge as a result of simultaneous folding of overlapped wings. The revealed folding mechanisms can achieve not only highly compact wing storage but also immediate deployment. In addition, the right and left crease patterns are interchangeable, and thus each wing internalizes two crease patterns and can be folded in two different ways. This two-way folding gives freedom of choice for the folding direction to a rove beetle. The use of asymmetric patterns and the capability of two-way folding are unique features not found in artificial structures. These features have great potential to extend the design possibilities for all deployable structures, from space structures to articles of daily use.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Industrial Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo 153-8505, Japan; saito-k@iis.u-tokyo.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Kazuya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Bioresource and Bioenvironmental Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8581, Japan; and.
authors.forename: Shuhei
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.affiliation: The Kyushu University Museum, Fukuoka 812-8581, Japan.
authors.forename: Munetoshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maruyama
authors.affiliation: Institute of Industrial Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo 153-8505, Japan;
authors.forename: Yoji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Okabe
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001517:Coleoptera / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D009038:Motion; D009040:Motion Pictures; D014921:Wings, Animal / Q000033:anatomy & histology*
keywords: Coleoptera; Staphylinidae; aerospace engineering; deployable structure