Ladybirds could hold the key to building an umbrella that does not blow inside out on a windy day, scientists believe.
The beetle manages to pack its wings away in complex origami-like folds beneath its carapace, before opening them into a fixed, strong membrane in flight.
Until now, the folding mechanism has remained a mystery because nobody could see beneath the outer spotty forewings.
But scientists in Japan created a see-through forewing and transplanted it onto a ladybird to provide a window on the process, using high-speed cameras and CT scans to observe.
They say it will help explain how the elastic wings maintain their strength and rigidity in flight, that could improve the design of umbrellas, satellites and microscopic medical instruments.
"Beetle wing-folding has the potential to change umbrella design that has been basically unchanged for more than 1000 years," said Assistant Professor Kazuya Saito of the University of Tokyo's Institute of Industrial Science.
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