#HTE
Slow-Mo Video of a Ladybug Unfolding Its Hidden Wings and Taking Off
If there’s anything on this earth that looks like it shouldn’t be able to fly, it’s a ladybug. They’ve got the same overall form factor as turtles, for chrissakes, and they look like they were designed by the people that came up with Super Mario Bros.
But ladybugs’ hard shell, or Elytra, actually has a sneaky reveal down the middle. These Elytra swing open like the doors of a freaking Lamborghini, allowing an improbably long pair of wings to unfurl from within. If you’ve never seen this in action before, have a look, it’s pretty cool:
Cool, but almost comically ungraceful. I like how when the wings come out, they initially look like they have upturned winglets on the tips.
Credit where credit is due, by the way: “The sequence was recorded by cameraman Rainer Bergomaz from Blue Paw Artists,” writes PCO, a German manufacturer of scientific cameras, “with a pco.dimax HD at 3000 frames/s and 1296 x 720 pixel resolution. The first part is displayed at 250 frames/s and when the ladybug starts to unfold its wings the display speed is reduced to 25 frames/s.”
http://www.core77.com/posts/55901/Slow-Mo-Video-of-a-Ladybug-Unfolding-Its-Hidden-Wings-and-Taking-Off