Insect attachment on waxy plant surfaces: the effect of pad contamination by different waxes

• Elena V. Gorb and
• Stanislav N. Gorb

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 385–395, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.35

• tarsal attachment devices) are able to establish a highly reliable contact and adhere successfully to a great variety of substrates having both smooth and microrough topographies [1][2][3]. However, in cases of waxy plant surfaces, where the plant cuticle is covered by micro/nanoscopic three-dimensional

• [8] tests up to precise measurements of attachment forces with different experimental techniques, such as pulling [9] and centrifugal [10] setups. It has been demonstrated that not only the presence of wax projections on the plant cuticle surface, but also their size, distribution, and density

• to [19][36]), show very high aspect ratios (ca. 100 [34] and ca. 33 [19][36], respectively). These wax structures have relatively small contact area with the underlying cuticle (A. negundo) or with wax tubules (B. oleracea). Cylindrical wax tubules in both A. vulgaris (Figure 1c) and C. majus (Figure

Sulfur nanocomposites with insecticidal effect for the control of Bactericera cockerelli

• Lany S. Araujo-Yépez,
• Juan O. Tigrero-Salas,
• Vicente A. Delgado-Rodríguez,
• Vladimir A. Aguirre-Yela and
• Josué N. Villota-Méndez

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 1106–1115, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.91

• to improve the insecticidal efficacy because the higher surface area and specificity provide stronger contact of the active substance with the insects [45]. The working mechanism of the nanocomposites may be the effective penetration through pores and microfibrils of the insects’ cuticle [45] and the

• larvae, pupae, and adults of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster [48]. In addition, nanoencapsulated essential oils have chemical activity and increased mobility, allowing for the penetration into insect tissues through the cuticle or by ingestion through the digestive tract [49]. Essential oils are

Biomimetics on the micro- and nanoscale – The 25th anniversary of the lotus effect

• Matthias Mail,
• Kerstin Koch,
• Thomas Speck,
• William M. Megill and
• Stanislav N. Gorb

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 850–856, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.69

• treatment on the elastic modulus of locust cuticle obtained by nanoindentation”, investigate the mechanical properties of the cuticle that builds the surface of insects and related groups of animals. The cuticle is one of the most abundant, but least studied biological composites. In their study, the

• authors use a nanoindentation technique to investigate the effect of freezing, desiccation, and rehydration on the elastic modulus of the hind tibial cuticle of locusts. All of the treatments significantly influenced the mechanical properties of the latter. Gorb et al. [7], in the paper “Hierachical

The origin of black and white coloration of the Asian tiger mosquito Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae)

• Manuela Rebora,
• Gianandrea Salerno,
• Silvana Piersanti,
• Alexander Kovalev and
• Stanislav N. Gorb

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 496–508, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.41

• may be due to pigments (e.g., melanins, carotenoids, ommochromes, and pteridins situated in the cuticle or under a transparent cuticle) [2] able to absorb visible electromagnetic radiation in a selective way, or due to various physical phenomena, such as reflection, refraction, interference

• µm in the white scales. The cuticle between longitudinal ridges is decorated with anisotropically situated nanostructures with a herringbone pattern (Figure 3e). The ridges show overlapping lamellae from which fine folds or microribs run down the sides, along the sides of the ridges (Figure 3d). The

• (Figure 4b–d,h). Such nanovoids originate from the rests of epidermal cells and appear in TEM as white or light grey areas inside the scales, together with electron-dense debris (Figure 4h). Their occurrence is higher at the bases of microribs, because the cuticle thickness is higher there (Figure 4h

Laser-processed antiadhesive bionic combs for handling nanofibers inspired by nanostructures on the legs of cribellate spiders

• Sebastian Lifka,
• Kristóf Harsányi,
• Erich Baumgartner,
• Lukas Pichler,
• Dariya Baiko,
• Karsten Wasmuth,
• Johannes Heitz,
• Marco Meyer,
• Anna-Christin Joel,
• Jörn Bonse and
• Werner Baumgartner

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 1268–1283, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.105

• “construction elements” surrounded by a wool of nanofibers. This wool is used to capture prey, deploying van der Waals forces and additionally embedding the fibers into the viscous waxy layer of the insects’ cuticle [12][13]. One thread typically consists of 5000 to 30000 single fibers with a thickness of 10–30

Interaction between honeybee mandibles and propolis

• Leonie Saccardi,
• Franz Brümmer,
• Jonas Schiebl,
• Oliver Schwarz,
• Alexander Kovalev and
• Stanislav Gorb

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 958–974, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.84

• transversely [7][8]. Mandibles of worker bees are spoon-shaped and differ from those of the queen and drones, which have a more pointed apex and a subapical notch [7][8]. The medial surface of the mandible has not been studied in detail before but has been described as concave and ridged [8]. The cuticle of

• mandibles is particularly strong due to bonding of long chitin chains and sclerotization (crosslinking of proteins in the cuticle) [6]. Foraging and handling of propolis Worker bees exhibit a division of labour based on age (polyethism) [9] in which duties such as brood rearing are usually performed by

• that anti-adhesive properties minimize adhesion of resins and propolis to their body parts. Various anti-adhesive strategies have been found in nature. Different mechanisms can lead to low adhesion. Possible strategies to reduce adhesion on the insect cuticle, as suggested in [16], are specific surface

Design of a biomimetic, small-scale artificial leaf surface for the study of environmental interactions

• Miriam Anna Huth,
• Axel Huth,
• Lukas Schreiber and
• Kerstin Koch

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 944–957, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.83

• Miriam Anna Huth Axel Huth Lukas Schreiber Kerstin Koch Faculty of Life Sciences, Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences, Marie-Curie-Str. 1, 47533 Kleve, Germany IZMB, Department of Ecophysiology, University of Bonn, Kirschallee 1, 53115 Bonn, Germany 10.3762/bjnano.13.83 Abstract The cuticle

• wetting properties of a natural leaf surface. Keywords: recrystallization; surface properties; wax composition; wetting; wheat; Introduction Cuticle One of the largest interfaces on earth is formed by thin layers that are a few nanometers to micrometers thin, namely the wax layers of the plant cuticle

• [1]. The plant cuticle is a thin extracellular membrane superimposed on the epidermal cells of all higher, non-woody, aboveground plant surfaces. It is basically composed of an insoluble polymeric matrix, cutin, and soluble hydrophobic waxes. The plant cuticle is known to have a variety of vital

Hierachical epicuticular wax coverage on leaves of Deschampsia antarctica as a possible adaptation to severe environmental conditions

• Elena V. Gorb,
• Iryna A. Kozeretska and
• Stanislav N. Gorb

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 807–816, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.71

• thawing, water drops flow off the surface and therefore cannot be potentially re-frozen. The study demonstrated the following effects caused by the wax coverage: (i) Air pockets between wax projections prevent direct contact between the plant cuticle and ice crystals, and (ii) after thawing, the fluid

• the wax on both epidermis and stomata contributes to the resistance of water vapor diffusion from the mesophyll to the outside and to the control of cuticle transpiration, reducing in this way the water loss by the leaf blade [9]. Also, authors associated the epicuticular wax on leaves along with

• . antarctica provides interesting data about surface adaptations in the plant adapted to low temperatures of Antarctica. Two layers of particulate wax observed here may potentially lead to an increase of the freezing time due to the shift of ice nucleation from the cuticle surface to the tips of wax

Effect of sample treatment on the elastic modulus of locust cuticle obtained by nanoindentation

• Chuchu Li,
• Stanislav N. Gorb and
• Hamed Rajabi

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 404–410, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.33

• Chuchu Li Stanislav N. Gorb Hamed Rajabi Functional Morphology and Biomechanics, Institute of Zoology, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany Division of Mechanical Engineering and Design, School of Engineering, London South Bank University, London, UK 10.3762/bjnano.13.33 Abstract Cuticle is one of the

• most abundant, but least studied, biological composites. As a result, it has contributed very little to the field of biomimetics. An important step to overcome this problem is to study cuticle biomechanics by means of accurate mechanical measurements. However, due to many reasons, mechanical testing on

• fresh cuticle specimens is not always possible. Hence, researchers often use stored specimens to measure properties of arthropod cuticle. Our knowledge about the influence of different treatment methods on cuticle properties is currently very limited. In this study, we investigated the effect of

Polarity in cuticular ridge development and insect attachment on leaf surfaces of Schismatoglottis calyptrata (Araceae)

• Venkata A. Surapaneni,
• Tobias Aust,
• Thomas Speck and
• Marc Thielen

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 1326–1338, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.98

• .12.98 Abstract The plant cuticle is a multifunctional barrier that separates the organs of the plant from the surrounding environment. Cuticular ridges are microscale wrinkle-like cuticular protrusions that occur on many flower and leaf surfaces. These microscopic ridges can help against pest insects by

• cuticle is a thin non-cellular membrane that covers most of the above-ground organs of land plants. It is a composite matrix consisting of cutin and cutan as its main components, contains intracuticular waxes, and typically is covered by an outer layer of epicuticular waxes. The cuticle and the underlying

• epidermal cell wall are linked by a transition region that is rich in cellulose, hemicellulose, and pectin [1][2][3][4][5]. The outer peripheral layer of the cuticle may show various microscopic morphological structures such as cuticular ridges, epicuticular wax crystals, trichomes, and hairy structures [4

Self-assembly of Eucalyptus gunnii wax tubules and pure ß-diketone on HOPG and glass

• Miriam Anna Huth,
• Axel Huth and
• Kerstin Koch

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 939–949, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.70

• that ß-diketone tubules are formed by self-assembly and confirmed that ß-diketone is the shape-determining component for this type of tubules. Keywords: ß-diketone tubules; eucalyptus; plant wax; recrystallization; self-assembly; Introduction The plant cuticle, which is the largest biological

• into the cutin matrix and the latter is deposited on the cutin layer, building the outermost layer of the cuticle. The two types of waxes may also differ in chemical composition [8][9]. Epicuticular waxes form various three-dimensional structures with different sizes (0.5–100 µm) and morphologies [5

Physical constraints lead to parallel evolution of micro- and nanostructures of animal adhesive pads: a review

• Thies H. Büscher and
• Stanislav N. Gorb

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 725–743, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.57

• spatula, terminating tips of the cuticle outgrowths in hairy systems form the superficial film. These films are responsible for proper contact formation with the substrate due to their low bending stiffness at a minimum load [239]. The film/spatula is able to adapt to the surface profile and to replicate

• . It contains a non-volatile, lipid-like substance that can be observed in footprints stained with Sudan black. It has been shown that the pad adhesive secretion of ladybird beetles (Coccinellidae) consists of hydrocarbons and true waxes [80][259], which correspond to the composition of the cuticle

• surface of the major droplets (Figure 8A is from [3] and was adapted by permission from Springer Nature from “Attachment devices of insect cuticle” by S. N. Gorb, Copyright 2001 Springer Nature. This content is not subject to CC BY 4.0). (B) Menisci formed around single terminal contact elements of the

Bio-imaging with the helium-ion microscope: A review

• Matthias Schmidt,
• James M. Byrne and
• Ilari J. Maasilta

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 1–23, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.1

• milling and imaging. Plant imaging was done on the model species Arabidopsis thaliana. The HIM images of the uncoated cuticle samples showed fine textures and minute ridges not discernible in the low-voltage field-emission SEM images of the same samples. Arabidopsis samples were also HIM-imaged by Curtin

Ultraviolet patterns of flowers revealed in polymer replica – caused by surface architecture

• Anna J. Schulte,
• Matthias Mail,
• Lisa A. Hahn and
• Wilhelm Barthlott

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 459–466, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.45

• strongly absorbing surfaces. Keywords: biomimetics; hierarchical structures; light absorption; light harvesting; light reflection; Introduction The outer epidermal surface of plants, the cuticle, forms the first and crucial boundary to the abiotic environment [1][2]. In most cases, this cuticle is a

• also be considered that the cuticle will interact with many different environmental influences, for example, wetting, contamination, and electromagnetic radiation [3][4] as well. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation in the wavelength range 280–380 nm is particularly crucial for plants, for example, when

A comparison of tarsal morphology and traction force in the two burying beetles Nicrophorus nepalensis and Nicrophorus vespilloides (Coleoptera, Silphidae)

• Liesa Schnee,
• Benjamin Sampalla,
• Josef K. Müller and
• Oliver Betz

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 47–61, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.5

• . vespilloides beetles, we found tiny pores on the ventral cuticle between the adhesive setae (Figure 1, inset: white arrows). Such pores could not be detected in N. nepalensis. A pair of flexibly hinged claws was seen to insert at the distal end of the fifth tarsus. The ventral side of the T1-T4 mainly bore two

• effects are less relevant in smooth systems that can obviously better compensate a wide range of roughness by their pliable pad cuticle in interaction with the fluid surface film [32]. In order to separate the effect of surface polarity from structuring, tests were conducted on hydrophilized and

A new bioinspired method for pressure and flow sensing based on the underwater air-retaining surface of the backswimmer Notonecta

• Matthias Mail,
• Adrian Klein,
• Horst Bleckmann,
• Anke Schmitz,
• Torsten Scherer,
• Peter T. Rühr,
• Goran Lovric,
• Robin Fröhlingsdorf,
• Stanislav N. Gorb and
• Wilhelm Barthlott

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 3039–3047, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.282

• the hemelytra of N. glauca. a–d) Clavus. a) Tubular body (tb) at the base of the seta. Note the joint membrane (jm). b) Outer dendritic segment with the dendritic sheath (ds) sectioned below the cuticle. c) Part of the dendrite in the outer receptor lymph cavity of the sensillum. The base of the seta

• through the clavus of a hemelytron of N. glauca (dorsal surface is up). Arrows mark mechanoreceptors. a) Lower part of a dendritic canal running through the cuticle with an inner dendrite. b) Socket region of the seta with outer dendritic tip at its base. cu = cuticle. a) Image of a water droplet

• cuticle (orange) at the base of each seta should enable monitoring of the setal deflection. The pins (dark gray) most likely penetrate the air–water interface. If so they should be deflected (light gray, dashed outline) by water flow. This deflection most likely is sensed by cuticular mechanoreceptors

Biomimetic surface structures in steel fabricated with femtosecond laser pulses: influence of laser rescanning on morphology and wettability

• Camilo Florian Baron,
• Alexandros Mimidis,
• Daniel Puerto,
• Evangelos Skoulas,
• Emmanuel Stratakis,
• Javier Solis and
• Jan Siegel

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2802–2812, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.262

• illustrated in Figure 2E. The function of the bug’s micro- and nanostructures is to allow rapid water transport all over its cuticle, which serves as camouflage during rain in their natural environment, changing the bug’s color to make it indistinguishable from the bark of some trees it rests on. Laser-based

• self-organization experiments in steel exploiting spike structure formation upon a single laser scan have been reported in [23], showing good performance for fluid transport applications but less similarity in morphology to the bug cuticle. The results obtained at = 0.2 J/cm2 are shown in Figure 2B

The structural and chemical basis of temporary adhesion in the sea star Asterina gibbosa

• Birgit Lengerer,
• Marie Bonneel,
• Mathilde Lefevre,
• Elise Hennebert,
• Philippe Leclère,
• Emmanuel Gosselin,
• Peter Ladurner and
• Patrick Flammang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2071–2086, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.196

• , nerve strands, and an outer epidermis covered by a thin glycocalyx, the so-called cuticle (Figure 2A). On some histological sections, the adhesive material, also visible on SEM pictures, was preserved on the adhesive epidermis (Figure 2A). As characteristic for reinforced disc-ending tube feet, the disc

• supportive cells and their microvilli collar prevented the animals from attaching themselves [37][41]. In asteroids, the area of attachment is an order of magnitude larger and completely covered by normal and specialized microvilli. The microvilli are embedded in a cuticle, which is poorly preserved in

Review on nanoparticles and nanostructured materials: history, sources, toxicity and regulations

• Jaison Jeevanandam,
• Ahmed Barhoum,
• Yen S. Chan,
• Alain Dufresne and
• Michael K. Danquah

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1050–1074, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.98

• sophisticated fractal and layered cuticle patterns possess superhydrophobic properties. These structural types are composed of the hierarchical structure which may be responsible for increasing the surface hydrophobicity [194]. Moreover, the colors of butterflies are attributed to their fine wing structure

Bioinspired self-healing materials: lessons from nature

• Joseph C. Cremaldi and
• Bharat Bhushan

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 907–935, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.85

• . Invertebrates have a very similar innate immune response. In comparison to the skin, hair, or feathers of vertebrates, invertebrate physical barriers mainly consist of an exoskeleton such as mollusk cockle, sea urchin test, and arthropod cuticle. In the absence of an exoskeleton (e.g., an octopus), barriers

• typically from chitin, cuticle (a chitin–protein composite material), or calcium carbonate [67]. Figure 5A shows the various layers that compose the epidermis and exoskeleton [68]. Secretion of exoskeletal material adds to the exoskeleton’s thickness, growing the exoskeleton from within [26]. This very

• previous section, exoskeleton material is secreted onto the inner surface of the exoskeleton from the cellular epidermis. Using cuticle as an example of exoskeletal material, the mechanism for growth is for these cuticle secretions to form layers differing in rigidity and maturity. Once the inner layers

Kinetics of solvent supported tubule formation of Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) wax on highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) investigated by atomic force microscopy

• Sujit Kumar Dora,
• Kerstin Koch,
• Wilhelm Barthlott and
• Klaus Wandelt

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 468–481, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.45

• ; crystallization; epicuticular wax; Lotus; Nelumbo nucifera; nonacosanol tubules; self-assembly; superhydrophobic; Introduction The plant cuticle, a cutin matrix embedded and covered by waxes provides a multitasking interface between plant and environment [1]. These waxes are either reside within the cutin layer

• (intracuticular wax) or deposited over the cutin surface (epicuticular wax) of primary plant organs. Being the first point of contact between plants and environment, the cuticle provides protection against water loss and external environmental stresses. Other important functions include control of transpiration

• concentration of wax molecules in the applied solution and the presence of any foreign substances, e.g., water or salts in the wax solution. In plants, the transport of wax molecules from the location of synthesis inside the cells onto the cuticle is discussed as co-transport of the wax components with water

Surfactant-induced enhancement of droplet adhesion in superhydrophobic soybean (Glycine max L.) leaves

• Oliver Hagedorn,
• Ingo Fleute-Schlachter,
• Hans Georg Mainx,
• Viktoria Zeisler-Diehl and
• Kerstin Koch

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 2345–2356, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.234

• reduction of the epicuticular wax structures and a change from Cassie–Baxter wetting to an intermediate wetting regime with an increase of droplet adhesion. Keywords: droplet adhesion; epicuticular wax; Glycine max L; superhydrophobic; surfactants; Introduction The cuticle, as the outermost layer of

• mechanical stability [5]. Furthermore, the cuticle interacts with its biotic environment and plays a crucial role for insect signaling [6] and insect attachment [7][8][9]. The leaf surfaces are composed of epidermis cells covered by a cuticle, which is a continuous extracellular membrane on primary plant

• ]. Epicuticular wax can either appear as a flat film covering the cuticle, or as a three-dimensional wax structure of various shapes having crystalline structure [15][16]. Cuticular wax, as defined in biology, represents a mixture of long-chain aliphatic hydrocarbons, such as alkanes, aldehydes, primary alcohols

Collembola cuticles and the three-phase line tension

• Håkon Gundersen,
• Hans Petter Leinaas and
• Christian Thaulow

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 1714–1722, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.172

• scale [5]; this makes Collembola cuticle structures easily reproducible, as well as more resilient against mechanical wear [7]. While the water repellency of Collembola has long been described in general, macroscopic terms, a specific mechanical explanation has been lacking. Cassie and Baxter described

• partial wetting state where only granule tops are wetted can be approximated by simple tessellating patterns. The repeating unit is a three-sided prism, surrounded by a triangular open space, for approximately hexagonal cuticle patterns. For approximately rhombic cuticle patterns, the repeating unit is a

• becomes dependent on the size scale when the area-to-perimeter ratio (S) of surface features is included. The magnitude of the size-scale dependency is determined by the three-phase line tension (λ). The exact magnitude of λ is not known for the Collembola cuticle, water, air three-phase system. Zheng’s

Biological and biomimetic materials and surfaces

• Stanislav Gorb and
• Thomas Speck

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 403–407, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.42

• siliceous teeth consist of composite materials with silica-based cap-like structures situated on chitin-bearing cuticle sockets that are connected through flexible resilient areas containing resilin protein. This composite architecture contributes to the performance of the siliceous teeth in damaging

Structural and tribometric characterization of biomimetically inspired synthetic "insect adhesives"

• Matthias W. Speidel,
• Malte Kleemeier,
• Andreas Hartwig,
• Klaus Rischka,
• Angelika Ellermann,
• Rolf Daniels and
• Oliver Betz

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 45–63, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.6

• certainly attributable to the high-melting temperature of octacosane (>60 °C). Such colloidal suspension-like behaviour corresponds well to the assumed nature of the outer lipid layer of the insect cuticle [4][28][39][40] and can also be assumed for insect tarsal adhesives being mere derivatives of the

• outer free lipid layer of the general body cuticle [41][42][43]. Such mixtures of high-melting straight n-alkanes with low-melting alkenes or methyl-branched alkanes keep the suspensions in a semi-solid condition over a broad range of temperatures. The in situ phase differentiation of alkanes and

• emulsions. Because of their small quantities, only a few attempts have been undertaken, to date, to determine the adhesive stress of insect tarsal adhesives in isolation from their underlying cuticle [5][46]. Moreover, to our knowledge, no attempts have as yet been undertaken to quantify the portion that