Experimental and Computational Investigation of Aerodynamic Characteristics of Hovering Coleoptera

Aerodynamic characteristics of Coleoptera species of Epilachna quadricollis and Allomyrina dichotoma are experimentally and numerically investigated. Using digital high speed camera and smoke wire technique, we visualized the continuous wing kinematics and the flight motion of free-flying coleoptera. The experimental visualization shows that the elytra flapped concurrently with the main wing both in the downstroke and upstroke motions. The wing motion of Epilachna quadricollis was captured and analyzed frame by frame to identify the kinematics of the wings and to implement it in the movement of a model wing (thin plate) in the simulation. The two-dimensional simulation of Epilachna quadricollis hovering flight was performed by assuming the wing cross section shape as a thin plate, even though most of insect's wings are made of curved corrugated membrane. The effect of Reynolds number are investigated by the simulation. Meanwhile, in order to investigate the role and effect of elytra, the flow visualization of Allomyrina dichotoma was carried on using smoke wire visualization technique. Here, we confirmed that the vortex generated by elytra due to its movement is strongly influence the vortex dynamic generated by hind wings.