Butterflies “clap-and-fling”

Butterflies utilize complex unsteady aerodynamics to achieve flight, as their small size makes air feel “thick” or viscous.

Unlike airplanes that rely on steady lift, butterflies use a “clap-and-fling” mechanism:

Unlike airplanes that rely on steady lift, butterflies use a “clap-and-fling” mechanism: they clap their wings together at the peak of a stroke and fling them apart, creating a low-pressure vortex that sucks air over the wings to generate immediate lift. They also employ leading-edge vortices (LEV), where air swirls over the wing’s front edge to maintain buoyancy. This chaotic-looking, zigzag flight path is actually a sophisticated defense mechanism, making their trajectory unpredictable to predators.

Source: Journal of The Royal Society Interface (2021)