The Intelligent Biology That Lets Insects Fly in the Rain
by Lori Dorn from Laughing Squid on (#6VGW5)
In a waterproof episode of the PBS series Be Smart, host Dr. Joe Hanson explains the intelligent biology that lets an insect fly in the rain. It turns out that their wings are super hydrophobic, meaning that they are not only impervious to but can repel raindrops, keeping the insect safe from the falling water.
Imagine the scale of raindrops if you were the size of a small bird. Or mosquito. Flying through a drizzle should be deadly! Like flying through falling cars and boulders. And yet it's not, because nature has given them a superpower-superhydrophobic surfaces that repel water and keep them airborne.