Fig. 3.

Expulsion of water out of the setae (step 2). (A) As condensation proceeds, drops inside the texture grow and deform the array of setae, so that the arising elastic force can expel them out of the hairs. Here, we follow the drop pointed out by a yellow arrow, and note that it is deformed when it jumps. Corresponding movie is Movie S3. (B) Position X (empty symbols) and principal diameters D₁ (in blue) and D₂ (in red, D₁ < D₂) of the drop, as a function of time t. Just before its expulsion, the drop becomes strongly anisotropic. Origin of time is defined at the onset of anisotropy. (C) Diameter distribution of 200 drops: The drop after expulsion (in red) is always larger than before expulsion (in blue). Diameter and position changes of 10 droplets (each one designated by a symbol) confirm the drop deformation and its expulsion in step 2 (C, Inset). (D) As a growing drop gets larger than the distance between hairs, elastic energy arising from the setae deformation can generate a force F able to expel the drop out of the texture.