US research biologist Adrian Smith uses powerful cameras to study – and delight in – how tiny winged creatures jump from the ground to the air in the blink of an eye. In this video, Smith guides viewers through slow-motion footage of 11 of the most intriguing moths and bugs he’s caught as they flee the Evolutionary Biology and Behavioral Sciences Laboratory at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, which he directs. Highlights include a trio of bioluminescent firefly beetles taking off in sync and a waving Sphinx moth launched from Smith’s fingertip. Together, these clips provide an impressive insight into the different strategies insects use to move in and through the air. For more lush visual explorations of Smith’s insect flight physics, check out Moths in Slow Motion and Insects Take Flight.
