Exceptional running and turning performance in a mite

The Journal of Experimental Biology
Samuel RubinAnna N Ahn

Abstract

The Southern California endemic mite Paratarsotomus macropalpis was filmed in the field on a concrete substrate and in the lab to analyze stride frequency, gait and running speed under different temperature conditions and during turning. At ground temperatures ranging from 45 to 60 °C, mites ran at a mean relative speed of 192.4 ± 2.1 body lengths (BL) s(-1), exceeding the highest previously documented value for a land animal by 12.5%. Stride frequencies were also exceptionally high (up to 135 Hz), and increased with substrate temperature. Juveniles exhibited higher relative speeds than adults and possess proportionally longer legs, which allow for greater relative stride lengths. Although mites accelerated and decelerated rapidly during straight running (7.2 ± 1.2 and -10.1 ± 2.1 m s(-2), respectively), the forces involved were comparable to those found in other animals. Paratarsotomus macropalpis employs an alternating tetrapod gait during steady running. Shallow turns were accomplished by a simple asymmetry in stride length. During tight turns, mites pivoted around the tarsus of the inside third leg (L3), which thus behaved like a grappling hook. Pivot turns were characterized by a 42% decrease in turning radius and a 40% in...Continue Reading

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Citations

May 10, 2017·Bioinspiration & Biomimetics·Benjamin GoldbergRobert J Wood
Oct 18, 2019·The Journal of Experimental Biology·Sarah Elisabeth PfefferHarald Wolf
Oct 7, 2020·Science Robotics·Xiufeng YangNéstor O Pérez-Arancibia
Jul 31, 2019·Science Robotics·Yichuan WuLiwei Lin
Sep 4, 2021·The Journal of Experimental Biology·Johanna TrossSarah Elisabeth Pfeffer

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