Saturday 8 December 2012

How One Insect Jumps on Water's Surface


Pygmy mole crickets are skilled jumpers on land and amazingly on water, too. New research shows how their back legs act like spring-loaded paddles to propel them from the surface of a pond.

Researcher Malcolm Burrows, of the University of Cambridge, explained that water can be a deadly trap for many small insects.

"Water grabs and holds an insect, offering it as an appetizing snack for an alert fish. Pygmy mole crickets turn the stickiness of water to their advantage and use this property to enable jumping," Burrows said in a statement.

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