The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1873-10-24
Muscular Strength of Insects.

IL i AAaA 4 AeaA+tAAag - aDAAHtE5 ~ rsAtti
naturalist, and a son Of the celebrated
physician, has lately tried some very
delicate experiments to measure The
muscular strength Of sinsects, as others
have done with man and the horse
The strength Of the last two is estima-
ted by the aid Of a machine called q
dynamometer, where the tension of a
spring is counterbalanced by an effort
exercised for a very short time. \ man,
il is found, has a power OF traction
equal to fve-sixths of his weight; a
horse, only the half or two-thirds Of his
weight; but this is very small in COM
parison with the strength of insects,
many Of which can draw forty times that
amount. The wa in which u. Plateau
has measured these powers is ingenious.
He harnessed the insect by horizontal
thread, which was passed over light
movable pulley; To this was attached a
balance loaded with a few grains Of
sand. To prevent the insect turning
aside. he made it walk between two bars
Of glass on a board covered with
muslin, so rs to afford a rough sur
face; exciting 1t forward, he gradually
poured fresa-zand iafa the 5..lsnos un-
III it rcfusoi.to advance farther; the sand
and tie insect were then weighed, and
the experiment was repeated three times,
in order 10 arrive at Il correct conclusion
as to the greatest effort that each could
make. The tables which give the re-
suits OF these trials seem clearly to de-
molstratc that in the same group Of in
sects the liahtest and smallest possess the
greatest atrcugth; or that the relative
force is in inverse ratio to the weight
This Law applies also to ,he experiments
IN flying and pushing, a. well as to
drawing. This law, assuredly very GU
1'ious and Interesting IN the economy Of
nature, has been confirmed by trying a
dozen individuals Of various species, in
order to obtain results more approaching
to the truth. These have been fully
successful in confirming previous ex-
pericnce-for example the drone Is four
times the weight of the bee, yet It can
only drag weight fifteen times greater
than its own, whilst the bee easily draws
twenty-three or twenty-four times it,
own bulk. In flying, it can raise a
weight very litlIe inferior to its own;
whilst the droie can only transport in
this manner half lis own weight The
Law in question appears also to apply
not only TO the species which belong 10
the same chronological subdivision, but
in a certain measure 10 the entire class
Of insects. i is trie that if the species
examined are arranged by the increasing
order oc their weight, thc corresponding
relations which express their relative
force arc not always exactly progressive.
There are exceptions which may be ex-
planned by the difference ofstructure. The
law holds good If they are divided into
three groups, comprising, respectively the
lightost insects, these Of 4 middle size,
and lie heaviest In this way the re-
lauyc force is represented for the fist
group by tweuty-.,;x: for the second, by
nineteen; for the last, by nine. This re-
lates only to the power Of traction; If
that in flying be taken into consideration,
the lightest can far surpass the heaviest;
the first being equal to one and one
third; the last T. but one-halE The
strongest insects appear to be those so
familiar 10 the naturalist, which live on
lilies and roses, such as the Crioceres
and Trichics. These little beings can
draw weight about forty times superior
to their own, and one, an athlete of the
tribe, drew sixty-scyen times its own
weight. A small beetle Of the tribe,
dlomaIs has executed the same feat. An
other more remarkable fact Is related Of
horn-beetlc, which held between its
mandibles, alternately raising and lower
ing It's head and breast, rod of thirty
centimetres long, weighing four hun
dre- grammes; its own weight was
but two grammes. At the side Of this
insect, what are the gymnasts who can
81 a. teA''4S A'tffA-AA tAAN-A ANAslAs t1AiNAA
examples show to what extent insects
are superior to the large animals in the
strength Of their muscles. Dry and
nervous, they can, in proportion to them
selves, move mountains. In addition to
this, they are ingenious. When an OBJ
stacle does not yield to them, they know
how to turn 1t aside. One day in a gar
den, a small wasp was trying to raise a
caterpillar which ii had just killed
The caterpillar was at least five or six
times heavier than its conqueror, which
could not gain It's end. Six times sue
cessiyely, weary Of the war, and despair
ing Of success, it abandoned its prey, and
sadly placed Fitself at some distance.
At last a bright idea saved it from its
embarrassment: it returned, placed itself
across the caterpillar as if on horseback;
with its two middle feet it embraced the
body Of its victim, raised it against its
breast and managed to walk on the four
feet which were at liberty; thus it soon
crossed walk Of six feet wide and laid
its prey against a wall.