Abstract: The thorax is the locomotory center of the insects. The acquisition of wings has long been considered as a key factor for the highly successful evolutionary adaptation of insects. And the legs play an important role in the locomotion, participating in crawling, jumping, swimming, flying and other movement behavior. Coleoptera (beetle) is the most special and successful groups in insect evolution. The described species are as many as 380,000 which is one of the biggest orders in Insecta. Based on the geometric morphological analysis, mechanical analysis and simulation of morphology and structure, we focus on the wings and legs of beetles to explore the locomotion, functional morphology and evolution of insect’s thorax, using optical microscope, scanning electron microscope, micro CT and 3D reconstruction, high-speed cameras and other imaging technology. For beetles, in order to lift the heavy body, the hind wing must be a certain size to be aerodynamically functional. Given that large and thin hind wings are vulnerable to damage, they must be folded to be stored below the elytra for protection during ground locomotion and unfold before flying.
Biography: Dr. Si-Qin Ge, Fellow of Entomological Society of Entomology of China and USA, vice director of Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Chinese Academy of Sciences, professor of Entomology, Functional Morphology and Evolution. She obtained her Doctor degree from University of Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2002, and finished her Post Doctor research in Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Germany during 2006-2007.
She set up the standard of image capture systems of Micro-CT, CLSM, MRI, FIB which conducted in insect structure analysis. Also she set up a bionic application flat-form for multi-dimensional database including external and internal insect structures and mechanical model of insect locomotion organs. She conducted co-evolution analysis of insect locomotor systems and their related structures, constructed mechanical analysis and modelling of insect related structures. All of these provided the basic support for deeply integration of insect structures and its bionic applications. She has charged number of important projects, including NSFC and Chinese Academy of Sciences projects, authored 5 books and more than 80 peer reviewed papers.
Her research interests mainly focused on the functional morphology of insects and its evolutionary trends and bionic applications. She currently addressing on three parts: 1. Biomechanics, energetics, and evolution of key structures of insects, e.g. structures related to locomotion of jumping, walking, flying, feeding and reproduction. The control of the movement is being studied from both morphological and biomechanical perspectives by using a combination of innovative techniques, such as μ-CT, CLSM, SIM, MRI, SBFSEM, FIB, Computer-based 3-dimensional reconstructions, behavioral analyses with high-speed three-dimensional videography, particle-image velocimetry and metabolic measurements. 2. Morphological changes and mechanism during development of metamorphosis. 3. Discovery and application of new innovative techniques for functional morphology.
