Free Fallin’: How Scientists Study Unrestrained Insects

Researchers are pulling from video games, sports broadcasting, meteorology, and even missile guidance technology to better investigate how insects have mastered flight.

Written byAmanda Heidt

| 11 min read

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To get her dragonflies to hunt as they might in the wild, neuroethologist Paloma Gonzalez-Bellido had to simulate Florida inside her lab at the University of Minnesota, where the average outside winter temperature sits well below freezing. The ceiling of her custom-built arena—itself an entire room—is lined with LEDs to mimic the warm tones of a cloudy day, and a climate control system keeps the space hot and humid. Stepping inside, Gonzalez-Bellido removes the lid on a container of Drosophila, and the dragonflies stiffen on their perches at the sight of their lunch.

What typically follow are remarkably efficient, airborne strikes, where predators are virtually assured of capturing their prey. Dragonflies have a 95 percent catch rate, and their four wings drive an impressive repertoire of aerial maneuvers, including backwards flight. To understand the mechanics of those behaviors, Gonzalez-Bellido needs to be able to ...

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Meet the Author

Amanda Heidt
Amanda first began dabbling in scicom as a master’s student studying marine science at Moss Landing Marine Labs, where she edited the student blog and interned at a local NPR station. She enjoyed that process of demystifying science so much that after receiving her degree in 2019, she went straight into a second master’s program in science communication at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Formerly an intern at The Scientist, Amanda joined the team as a staff reporter and editor in 2021 and oversaw the publication’s internship program, assigned and edited the Foundations, Scientist to Watch, and Short Lit columns, and contributed original reporting across the publication. Amanda’s stories often focus on issues of equity and representation in academia, and she brings this same commitment to DEI to the Science Writers Association of the Rocky Mountains and to the board of the National Association of Science Writers, which she has served on since 2022. She is currently based in the outdoor playground that is Moab, Utah. Read more of her work at www.amandaheidt.com.
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