SETAE

As we flew towards the crash, the rescuers in their black suits and masks, began to arrive and surround it. The frilled dragonfly is covered in thin, gel-like fibers called setae, which vary in length from .1 to .25 mm, and are rarely found. Setae are an important mode of locomotion in the insects. As noted above, silk is a very lightweight, reversible and very efficient method of propulsion. However, researchers discovered in 1988 that dragonflies do not rely on silk to move. Instead, the insects generate powerful thrusts using their setae, an effective method of propulsion which is not studied... GIF: 900 x 1200