Speed is blinding. Just ask the tiger beetle, the fastest
insect its size. Though predatory tiger beetles have excellent sight, when they
chase prey, they run so fast they can no longer see where they are going.
Cornell researchers have discovered that, unlike insects
that wave their “feelers” around to acquire information, tiger beetles rigidly
hold their antennae directly in front of them to mechanically sense their
environments and avoid obstacles while running, according to a study published
online Feb. 5 in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B.