MELLARD, J. M.; LOUDON, C. *; University of Kansas: Flexural stiffness of bee antennae

Mechanically, insect antennae may be considered as cantilever beams, as they are supported on one end (where they join the head) and project into space. These sensory structures are often long and cylindrical, support their own weight, and respond to mechanical stimuli in their environment. The flexural stiffness of an antenna is determined by the material properties of its components and their arrangement in space. Flexural stiffness (EI) was measured for antennae from thirteen worker honeybees (Apis mellifera) by hanging small weights on the antennae and measuring their deflection using videomicroscopy. The average flexural stiffness was 7.9 x 10^-11 Nm² (standard deviation 4.88 x 10^-11 Nm²). The magnitude of the flexural stiffness is of interest because it may be used to predict the upper limit to the length of an antenna able to support its own weight, as well as to predict how an antenna will deflect under different kinds of mechanical loads.