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Biological Sciences: Halteres of Flies as Gyroscopic Organs of Equilibrium

Nature volume 141, pages 919–920 (1938)Cite this article

Abstract

IN insects belonging to the group Diptera the second pair of wings is modified into a pair of dumbbell shaped organs, called halteres or balancers, which consist of a thickened base bearing numerous sense organs, a shaft, and a swollen blood-filled end (Fig. 1, A). During flight the halteres are vibrated rapidly through an arc of about 90° in the vertical plane with a frequency which is almost certainly identical with that of the wing beat. In Calliphora, Lucilia or Phormia this is about 200 times per second.

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References

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. of Zoology and Applied Entomology, Imperial College of Science and Technology, London, S.W.7

    G. FRAENKEL

  2. Dept. of Zoology, University of Cambridge,

    J. W. S. PRINGLE

Authors
  1. G. FRAENKEL
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  2. J. W. S. PRINGLE
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FRAENKEL, G., PRINGLE, J. Biological Sciences: Halteres of Flies as Gyroscopic Organs of Equilibrium. Nature 141, 919–920 (1938). https://doi.org/10.1038/141919a0

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