Experiment and analysis of the fiber shape of curculionidae cuticle

Abstract

Most structural materials existing in nature take the form of composite. After centuries' evolution and modification, these natural materials gain highly optimized structures and prominent performances. The SEM observation on the cuticle of curculionidae shows that the cuticle is a biocomposite reinforced with chitin fibers. The chitin fibers are embedded in a protein matrix of the cuticle in the form of layers. A kind of revolving fiber layup was found. Observation also shows that there is a kind of special spinous fiber consisting of a long fiber and many short fibers. The maximal pullout force of the spinous fiber is analyzed. The results show that the maximal pullout force of the spinous fiber is distinctly larger than that of ordinary straight fiber.