Size is a key to locomotion. In insects, miniaturization leads to fundamental changes in wing structure and kinematics, making the study of flight in the smallest species important for basic biology and physics, and, potentially, for applied disciplines. However, the flight efficiency of miniature insects has never been studied, and their speed and maneuverability have remained unknown. We report a comparative study of speeds and accelerations in the smallest free-living insects, featherwing beetles (Coleoptera: Ptiliidae), and in larger representatives of related groups of Staphylinoidea. Our results show that the average and maximum flight speeds of larger ptiliids are extraordinarily high and comparable to those of staphylinids that have bodies 3 times as long. This is one of the few known exceptions to the “Great Flight Diagram,” according to which the flight speed of smaller organisms is generally lower than that of larger ones. The horizontal acceleration values recorded in Ptiliidae are almost twice as high as even in Silphidae, which are more than an order of magnitude larger. High absolute and record-breaking relative flight characteristics suggest that the unique morphology and kinematics of the ptiliid wings are effective adaptations to flight at low Reynolds numbers. These results are important for understanding the evolution of body size and flight in insects and pose a challenge to designers of miniature biomorphic aircraft.

尺寸是运动的关键。在昆虫中，小型化导致机翼结构和运动学发生根本变化，这使得对最小物种的飞行研究对于基础生物学和物理学乃至应用学科而言都具有重要意义。然而，从未研究过小型昆虫的飞行效率，其速度和可操纵性仍然未知。我们报告了在最小的自由活动昆虫，羽翼甲虫（鞘翅目：Ptiliidae）以及葡萄球菌相关群体的较大代表中的速度和加速度的比较研究。我们的结果表明，较大的翼状ili虫的平均和最大飞行速度异常高，可以与具有3倍长的体的类葡萄球菌相媲美。这是“大飞行图”中为数不多的已知例外之一，据此，较小生物的飞行速度通常低于较大生物的飞行速度。在t科中记录的水平加速度值几乎是在ph科中的水平加速度值的两倍，后者大于一个数量级。高绝对和破纪录的相对飞行特性表明，上翼的独特形态和运动学特性可以有效地适应低雷诺数下的飞行。这些结果对于了解昆虫的体型演变和飞行非常重要，并对微型生物形态飞机的设计者构成了挑战。高绝对和破纪录的相对飞行特性表明，上翼的独特形态和运动学特性可以有效地适应低雷诺数下的飞行。这些结果对于了解昆虫的体型演变和飞行非常重要，并对微型生物形态飞机的设计者构成了挑战。高绝对和破纪录的相对飞行特性表明，上翼的独特形态和运动学特性可以有效地适应低雷诺数下的飞行。这些结果对于了解昆虫的体型演变和飞行非常重要，并对微型生物形态飞机的设计者构成了挑战。