Summary
11 April 2014
New research shows that when a threat comes into view, fruit flies make extremely fast turns similar to those made by fighter jets. The study explains why flies are hard to catch, according to the team.
Reporter:
Pallab Ghosh
Flies have brains the size of a grain of salt
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Report
The research team were astonished by the speed with which fruit flies are able to change direction in mid-flight when faced with a threat.
Like fighter aircraft, they pitch, roll and regain stability, and all in five-thousandths of a second. High speed video shows that this complex and abrupt manoeuvre involves very subtle changes in the insect's wing beat that are barely discernible.
It's a mystery how a creature with a brain the size of a grain of salt is able to process visual information and translate it into precise muscular movements so quickly and precisely.
But according to the research team, it does help to explain why flies are so difficult to swat.
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Vocabulary
- astonished
very surprised
- pitch
(of a boat or aircraft) move up and down suddenly
- stability
balance
- abrupt
sudden and unexpected
- manoeuvre
a movement that you need skill and care to do
- subtle
not obvious, difficult to notice
- discernible
able to be seen or noticed
- process
understand and deal with
- swat
hit with a flat object (especially an insect)
