Leaping Larvae

“Hydrostatic legless jumping” launches a 3-millimeter maggot of a goldenrod gall midge 20-30 body-lengths away with acceleration rivalling the best legged leapers. The larva latches its head to its tail with a previously unknown adhesive and squeezes some internal fluids into its tail section for launch pressure. This style of flight is about 28 times more efficient than crawling, a finding that may intrigue soft robotics. Citation: “Adhesive Latching and Legless Leaping in Small, Worm-Like Insect Larvae,