London: 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, known as elytra.

But scientists in Japan created a see-through forewing out of transparent resin and transplanted it onto a ladybird to provide a literal window into the process, using high speed cameras and CT scans to observe.