This video is part of the morphology series. The grasshopper is used as the typical insect in the series. In all but Odonata, insect wings are extensions of the thoracic cuticle and the wingbeats are driven by the two sets of indirect flight muscles inserted on the thorax cuticle that distort the rigid thorax so the wings work like levers to flip in-and-out over fulcrum points. Air sacs lighten the insect and supply oxygen to the working muscle, but do not contribute directly to the wingbeat.
True. But this is part of a basic series showing the general structures and their functions for insects. Not actually a discussion of flight. It is only to illustrate that insects have a unique mechanism for moving their wings by distorting their thorax rather than the muscles pulling directly on the appendage.
This grass hopper is a poor example a flying insect though so extra info was need of which I have acquired from other sources..the grass hopper has air sacs along or in it abdomen I believe....
@llkeeley Members of Odonata are interesting the speed at which they are able to move and turn is exrodanairy....also for speculations sake do you think intelligence in squid will continue to develop ever further?
Good one. and thank God that RU-vid is banned in China. Otherwise God knows how many shitty misleading videos there will be. I might not ever have the chance to come across this short but incredibly informative awesome video.
