Search

An introduction to high‐speed photography and its entomological impact is provided, emphasizing the importance of high frame rates and high resolution. The take‐off and free flight of Drepanosiphum platanoidis and Myzus persicae were studied in still air using high‐speed photography in HD. The wing tip and body posture were tracked to show how they are displaced during each wingbeat cycle. The important structural elements of the wing are described. The wingbeat is driven by a reinforced leading edge, the pterostigma and costa. The remainder of the coupled fore‐ and hindwing acts as a single aerofoil that deforms during flight, due to sparse venation and a lack of cross veins. During flight, aphids use a ‘near clap and fling’ mechanism with a body pitch close to 90°. Rapid acceleration about the thoracic lateral axis into wing reversal generates enough lift for take‐off, typically within the first or second wingbeat. Unique footage shows that aphids demonstrate a high degree of flight control and manoeuvrability in the lab, occasionally using forward and inverted flight, two flight modes that are otherwise poorly known. While research into the impact of turbulent convection is needed, we posit that the strength of atmospheric forces presents a formidable challenge to aphid migrants. Above the flight boundary layer, migrating aphids may not easily oppose upwardly moving air, although if used, ‘frozen flight’ may cause them to descend on average. We evaluate five devices for insect flight research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to identify and evaluate the attributes (features and services) of a ski resort. Focus groups and in-depth interviews were used to develop a list of attributes that both consumers and service providers believe to be of importance when skiing in Verbier, Switzerland. Following this, a sample of 151 skiers randomly chosen throughout the season, were asked to comment on the importance and performance of 97 separate attributes in a detailed questionnaire. By using the Importance Performance Analysis (IPA) technique, final tabulated results were presented in a two-dimensional grid to show the strengths' and weaknesses of the tourism variables being studied. The study demonstrates that IPA provides a useful technique for evaluating service attributes in relation to skiing destinations. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]