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Close up photo of a wing
Unearthing the Evolutionary Origins of Insect Wings
A handful of new studies moves the needle toward a consensus on the long-disputed question of whether insect wings evolved from legs or from the body wall, but the devil is in the details.
Unearthing the Evolutionary Origins of Insect Wings
Unearthing the Evolutionary Origins of Insect Wings

A handful of new studies moves the needle toward a consensus on the long-disputed question of whether insect wings evolved from legs or from the body wall, but the devil is in the details.

A handful of new studies moves the needle toward a consensus on the long-disputed question of whether insect wings evolved from legs or from the body wall, but the devil is in the details.

insect flight

Drosophila: To Infinity and Beyond
The Scientist Staff | Mar 9, 2021 | 1 min read
Slideshow: Watch Insects in Motion
Amanda Heidt | Mar 1, 2021 | 4 min read
Researchers across disciplines are adopting high-tech tools to better understand the kinematics and behaviors behind insect flight.
Free Fallin’: How Scientists Study Unrestrained Insects
Amanda Heidt | Mar 1, 2021 | 10+ min read
Researchers are pulling from video games, sports broadcasting, meteorology, and even missile guidance technology to better investigate how insects have mastered flight.
Infographic: VR, Radar, and Other Tricks for Studying Insects
Amanda Heidt | Mar 1, 2021 | 1 min read
Researchers are getting creative to understand flight behavior in the fast-moving and tiny animals.
Image of the Day: Moth Movement
Emily Makowski | Jan 2, 2020 | 1 min read
Neuronal signal timing is crucial for muscle coordination during flight.
LED flight simulator for mosquitos
Image of the Day: Mosquito Flight Simulator
Nicoletta Lanese | Jul 30, 2019 | 1 min read
Carbon dioxide pumped into a bright chamber mimics a breathing host for the pest to target.
Image of the Day: On the Wing
Sukanya Charuchandra | Sep 21, 2018 | 1 min read
 A model helps recapitulate the geometric patterning of insect wings.
Fruit Fly Flight Tactics
Rina Shaikh-Lesko | Apr 14, 2014 | 1 min read
High-speed cameras capture the remarkable in-flight maneuvers fruit flies use to avoid predators.
Fly Guy
Karen Hopkin | Aug 1, 2012 | 9 min read
For Michael Dickinson, Drosophila are more than winged gene holders—they’re sophisticated systems for translating sensory information into flight instructions.
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