First published online December 16, 2008
Journal of Experimental Biology 212, 106-115 (2009)
Published by The Company of Biologists 2009
doi: 10.1242/jeb.024448
Jumping strategies and performance in shore bugs (Hemiptera, Heteroptera, Saldidae)
Malcolm Burrows
Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EJ,
UK
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Fig. 2. Structure of the hind legs. (A) Drawing of a ventral view of
Saldula with the hind leg on the right in fully levated position
about the coxo-trochanteral joint and the hind leg on the left in an almost
fully depressed position and with its distal tibia and tarsus omitted. Both
middle legs are rotated forwards. Anterior is to the top. (B) Photograph of
the proximal joints of the hind legs viewed ventrally and in the same position
as those in A.
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Fig. 3. Images of a jump by Saldula viewed from the side and captured at
5000 frames s–1, each with an exposure time of 0.05 ms. The
images are arranged in two columns with the bottom left hand corner of each
image providing a constant reference point in this and in Figs
4,
5,
6. The hind legs started to
move at –4 ms as seen by a downward movement of the right hind
femoro-tibial joint (arrow), and were the last to lose contact with the ground
at take-off (0 ms). The wings remained closed throughout the jump. The
antennae were swept backwards by the applied acceleration.
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Fig. 4. Images of Saldula as it jumped toward and to the right of the
camera. The first movements of the hind legs began 4 ms before take-off. The
hind tarsi were placed on the ground lateral to the left and right edges of
the body. The arrows point to the white dots marking the position of the
femoro-tibial joint of the right hind leg.
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Fig. 5. Images of a jump by Saldula in which the wings were opened and
moved. The first opening movements of the wings began 21 ms before take-off
whereas the first movement of the hind legs occurred 17 ms later and 4 ms
before take-off. The wings were being depressed as the hind legs lost contact
with the ground and initiated take-off. The arrows point to the white dots
marking the position of the femoro-tibial joint of the right hind leg.
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Fig. 6. A jump by Saldula in which the wings were being elevated at
take-off. (A) The wings were first opened 13 ms before take-off but the hind
legs did not move until 4 ms before take-off, at which time the wings were
being elevated. (B) Graph to show the position of the tip of the right front
wing at take-off in the 25 jumps where the wings were moved. The filled
circles indicate that the wing was being depressed and the open circles that
it was being elevated at take-off. The graph is superimposed upon a drawing of
Saldula taken from a jump in which the wings were moved.
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Fig. 7. Velocities and trajectories of six jumps by the same Saldula.
(A,C) Three jumps in which the wings were not moved. (A) Velocity, plotted as
a three-point rolling average against time, of a point on the body indicated
by cross on the cartoon. Peak velocity was reached before take-off. (C)
Trajectories of the same three jumps in which vertical movement is plotted
against horizontal movement. (B,D) Three jumps in which the wings were moved.
(B) Velocity as a three-point rolling average plotted against time. (D)
Trajectory.
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© The Company of Biologists Ltd 2009
