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Abstract

Microstructure and Hydrophobicity of the Wing Surface of Some Moths †

1
Tianjin Key Laboratory of Conservation and Utilization of Animal Diversity, College of Life Sciences, Tianjin Normal University, Binshui West Road 393, Xiqing District, Tianjin 300387, China
2
Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Presented at the 1st International Online Conference on Biomimetics (IOCB 2024), 15–17 May 2024; Available online: https://sciforum.net/event/IOCB2024.
Proceedings 2024, 107(1), 48; https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2024107048
Published: 15 May 2024

1. Introduction

Aquatic moths of Lepidoptera, Crambidae, and Acentropinae inhabit moist environments. For example, the larvae of genus Eoophyla all live in streams, and their wing surfaces are highly hydrophobic after a long period of evolution. Currently, there are only some sporadic reports on the classification and agricultural control of aquatic moths, and reports on hydrophobic properties and their surface scales are very limited.

2. Methods

We used a contact angle measuring instrument and SEM to study the hydrophobicity and microstructure of three aquatic moths Eoophyla ochripicta, E. menglensis, and E. melanops (Crambidae, Acentropinae) and a non-aquatic moth Conogethes punctiferalis (Crambidae, Pyraustinae).

3. Results

Our research results show that the wing surfaces of all three aquatic Eoophyla moths have strong hydrophobicity, and the contact angle of the minimum water drop volume was 15 µL (ranging from 139.3° to 143.0°), but the contact angle of the non-aquatic moth was only 133.9°. The microstructures of the wing surfaces of the three aquatic Eoophyla moths are similar: the surface of the scales consists of sub-micron longitudinal ridges and laterally connected ribs, and the spacing between the longitudinal ribs is 0.8~1.69 µm, exhibiting a grid shape. Conversely, the laterally connected ribs of C. punctiferalis are incomplete.

4. Conclusions

Due to the presence of the wing surface microstructure of aquatic moths, and because the scale of the structure is much smaller than the diameter of the droplet, this leads to the formation of air pockets under the droplets, which are unable to fully fill the grooves of the surface. Thus, the wing surface exhibits stronger hydrophobicity. However, the microstructure of C. punctiferalis can make water droplets have more contact with the wing surface, so the hydrophobicity is less favorable than that of aquatic Eoophyla moths. Researching the relationship between the hydrophobic properties of the wing surface and its structure can provide an experimental and theoretical basis for the preparation of hydrophobic biomimetic materials.

Author Contributions

Conceptualization, M.S. and F.C.; methodology, M.S.; validation, M.S., A.L. and T.M.; investigation, T.M.; resources, F.C.; writing—original draft preparation, T.M.; writing—review and editing, M.S. and A.L. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant nos. 31772513 to M.S. and 32070470 to A.L.).

Institutional Review Board Statement

Ethical review and approval were waived for this study due to where no specific permits were required for the described studies.

Informed Consent Statement

Not applicable.

Data Availability Statement

Data available on request from the authors.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.
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Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Meng, T.; Chen, F.; Sun, M.; Liang, A. Microstructure and Hydrophobicity of the Wing Surface of Some Moths. Proceedings 2024, 107, 48. https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2024107048

AMA Style

Meng T, Chen F, Sun M, Liang A. Microstructure and Hydrophobicity of the Wing Surface of Some Moths. Proceedings. 2024; 107(1):48. https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2024107048

Chicago/Turabian Style

Meng, Tingxiu, Fuqiang Chen, Mingxia Sun, and Aiping Liang. 2024. "Microstructure and Hydrophobicity of the Wing Surface of Some Moths" Proceedings 107, no. 1: 48. https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2024107048

APA Style

Meng, T., Chen, F., Sun, M., & Liang, A. (2024). Microstructure and Hydrophobicity of the Wing Surface of Some Moths. Proceedings, 107(1), 48. https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2024107048

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