ABSTRACT
Biomimetics holds the promise to contribute to sustainability in several ways. However, it remains unclear how the two broad concepts and research fields are connected. This article presents a literature overview on biomimetic sustainable developments and research. It is shown that there is an increasing trend in publications dealing with various topics and that the research takes place worldwide. The biological models studied in biomimetic sustainable developments are mostly sub-elements of biological systems on a molecular level and lead to eco-friendly, resource and energy-efficient applications. This article indicates that biomimetics is further integrating sustainability to contribute to real problems in this context.
ABSTRACT
Administration of defined amounts of bioactive substances is a perseverative problem in physiological studies on insects. Apart from feeding and injection, topical application of solutions of the chemicals is most commonly used for this purpose. The solvents used should be non-toxic and have least possible effects on the studied parameters. Acetone is widely used for administration of chemical substances to insects, but possible side-effects of acetone application on fitness and behavioral parameters have been rarely investigated. Here we study the effects of acetone application (207 nl) on fitness and sexual communication in the parasitic wasp Nasonia giraulti Darling. Application of acetone had neither negative effects on longevity nor on offspring number and offspring sex ratio of treated wasps. Treatment of females hampered courtship and mating of N. giraulti couples neither directly after application nor one day after. Male sex pheromone titers were not influenced by acetone treatment. Three application examples demonstrate that topical acetone application is capable of bringing active amounts of insect hormones, neuromodulators, and biosynthetic precursors even in tiny insects. We advocate the use of acetone as a convenient, conservative, and broadly applicable vehicle for studying the effects of bioactive substances in insects.
