From the larva to the adult – morphology and material composition of the mouthparts in Odonata focusing on biomechanics and ontogeny

• Applicant: Dr. Sebastian Büsse
• Subject Area: Systematics and Morphology (Zoology)
• Term: from 2014 to 2023
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 264538592

• Final Report Year: 2023

Final Report Abstract

In the completed projects, the morphology, mechanics, and kinematics of the mouthparts of dragonfly larvae and adults were investigated. These predators possess highly specialized mouthparts for capturing prey and the feeding process. In the first project, for example, the unique prey capturing apparatus of dragonfly larvae, known as the prehensile labial mask, was analyzed, with a focus on the significance of resilin and energy storage mechanisms. The kinematic process of capturing and consuming prey was a central point of interest. In the second project, the morphology, material composition, and biomechanics of the mouthparts in adult animals, including ontogeny and imaginal molting, were explored. The material composition of the cuticle played a significant role, especially in terms of damping and shock absorption. These studies not only contributed to our understanding of dragonfly biology but also offered potential applications in bio-inspired robotics. The projects resulted in a book chapter, numerous scientific publications, and provided students with the opportunity to conduct their final thesis. The entirety of this project provided fascinating insights into the interaction of morphology, behavior, kinematics, and material composition of insect cuticle, which are also relevant to the field of bionics.

Publications

• The head morphology of Pyrrhosoma nymphula larvae (Odonata: Zygoptera) focusing on functional aspects of the mouthparts. Frontiers in Zoology, 14(1).
  Büsse, Sebastian; Hörnschemeyer, Thomas & Gorb, Stanislav N.
  
• Material composition of the mouthpart cuticle in a damselfly larva (Insecta: Odonata) and its biomechanical significance. Royal Society Open Science, 5(6), 172117.
  Büsse, Sebastian & Gorb, Stanislav N.
  
• Adaptations of dragonfly larvae and their exuviae (Insecta: Odonata), attachment devices and their crucial role during emergence. Journal of Insect Physiology, 117, 103914.
  Büsse, Sebastian; Büscher, Thies H.; Heepe, Lars & Gorb, Stanislav N.
  
• The predatory strike of dragonfly larvae (Insecta: Odonata). International Congress of Odonatology 2019 (ICO19), Austin, TX, USA
  Büsse S.; Köhnsen A. & Gorb S. N.
  
• Illuminating nature’s beauty: modular, scalable and low-cost LED dome illumination system using 3D-printing technology. Scientific Reports, 10(1).
  Bäumler, Fabian; Koehnsen, Alexander; Tramsen, Halvor T.; Gorb, Stanislav N. & Büsse, Sebastian
  
• Step by step and frame by frame – Workflow for efficient motion tracking of high-speed movements in animals. Zoology, 141, 125800.
  Koehnsen, Alexander; Kambach, Jannis & Büsse, Sebastian
  
• The predatory strike of Odonata larvae – A temperature dependent spring actuated system
  Koehnsen A.; Tröger H.-L.; Gorb S. N. & Büsse S.
  
• A controllable dual-catapult system inspired by the biomechanics of the dragonfly larvae’s predatory strike. Science Robotics, 6(50).
  Büsse, Sebastian; Koehnsen, Alexander; Rajabi, Hamed & Gorb, Stanislav N.
  
• Computational fluid dynamics provide evidence for a compensatory suction feeding like effect in the predatory strike of dragonfly larvae
  Koehnsen A.; Brede M.; Gorb S. N. & Büsse S.
  
• The toolkit of a hunter – functional morphology of larval mouthparts in a dragonfly. Journal of Zoology, 315(4), 247-260.
  Büsse, S.; Tröger, H.‐L. & Gorb, S. N.
  
• Functional morphology in Odonata. Dragonflies and Damselflies, 39-56.
  Büsse, Sebastian
  
• Hunting with catapults: the predatory strike of the dragonfly larvae. 3 rd International Workshop for Insect Bio-Inspired Technologies, Edinburgh, UK
  Büsse S.
  
• Morphological adaptations of the mouthparts to the ectoparasitic lifestyle of the biting midge Forcipomyia paludis (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae), specialized in Odonata. Zoomorphology, 141(3-4), 307-314.
  Büsse, Sebastian; Wildermuth, Hansruedi & Gorb, Stanislav N.
  
• Tarsal attachment structures of the biting midge Forcipomyia paludis (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae), a specialized ectoparasite of Odonata imagines. Zoomorphology, 141(3-4), 297-306.
  Gorb, Stanislav N.; Wildermuth, Hansruedi; Kohl, Stefan & Büsse, Sebastian
  
• The mouthparts of the adult dragonfly Anax imperator (Insecta: Odonata), functional morphology and feeding kinematics. Journal of Morphology, 283(9), 1163-1181.
  Josten, Benedikt; Gorb, Stanislav N. & Büsse, Sebastian
  
• A switchable joint in the head of dragonfly larvae (Insecta: Odonata) as key to the multifunctionality of the prehensile labial mask. Journal of Experimental Zoology Part A: Ecological and Integrative Physiology, 339(7), 644-654.
  Koehnsen, Alexander; Gorb, Stanislav N. & Büsse, Sebastian