Abstract
Adhesion to smooth surfaces by means of thin fluid lipid film was studied on living larvae of 71 species of Lepidoptera by a simple ”light reflection method”. The method made it possible to localize exactly the sites of adhesion and to estimate roughly the film thickness, within a certain range. Furthermore, it revealed the general presence of mobile lipid on the entire insect surface. The observations on living larvae were complemented by comparative structural studies of the adhesive parts with light and scanning electron microscopes on preserved specimens of 161 species. Specialized adhesive devices were found in great diversity on larval legs and prolegs, especially in larvae living in the open air on their food plants. Two main surface types of adhesive cuticle were found: (1) cuticle with a flexible smooth surface and (2) cuticle with very numerous small projections (microtrichia) with spatulate and recurved apices. Both the functional implications of the adhesive cuticular structure and the role of the adhesive fluid as well as the evolution of the adhesive devices are discussed. The adhesive effect is due to ”capillary” or meniscus forces.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Accepted: 29 July 1999
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hasenfuss, I. The adhesive devices in larvae of Lepidoptera (Insecta, Pterygota). Zoomorphology 119, 143–162 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1007/s004350050088
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s004350050088