Silver-Washed Fritillary Butterfly in Wind Tunnel (IMAGE)

Lund University

Silver-Washed Fritillary Butterfly in Wind Tunnel

Caption

The fluttery flight of butterflies has so far been somewhat of a mystery to researchers, given their unusually large and broad wings relative to their body size. Now researchers at Lund University in Sweden have studied the aerodynamics of butterflies in a wind tunnel. The results suggest that butterflies use a highly effective clap technique, therefore making use of their unique wings. This helps them rapidly take off when escaping predators.

Credit

Christoffer Johansson

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