Vulnerable Areas on the Surface of the Tarsus and Pretarsus of the Grasshopper (Acrididae, Orthoptera); with Special Reference to the Arolium

Slifer, Eleanor H.

doi:10.1093/aesa/43.2.173

Cited by 68 publications

(52 citation statements)

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“…When the surface of the cuticle has been damaged, the waterproofing wax layer of the epicuticle may be destroyed, making the cuticle permeable to water-soluble dyes such as Methylene Blue (Slifer, 1950). Following damage, the lipid layer can be repaired and become again impermeable (Wigglesworth, 1945;Slifer, 1950).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effect of shear forces and ageing on the compliance of adhesive pads in adult cockroaches

Zhou

Robinson

Viney

et al. 2015

Journal of Experimental Biology

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The flexibility of insect adhesive pads is crucial for their ability to attach on rough surfaces. Here, we used transparent substrates with micropillars to test in adult cockroaches (Nauphoeta cinerea) whether and how the stiffness of smooth adhesive pads changes when shear forces are applied, and whether the insect's age has any influence. We found that during pulls towards the body, the pad's ability to conform to the surface microstructures was improved in comparison to a contact without shear, suggesting that shear forces make the pad more compliant. The mechanism underlying this shear-dependent increase in compliance is still unclear. The effect was not explained by viscoelastic creep, changes in normal pressure, or shear-induced pad rolling, which brings new areas of cuticle into surface contact. Adhesive pads were significantly stiffer in older cockroaches. Stiffness increased most rapidly in cockroaches aged between 2.5 and 4 months. This increase is probably based on wear and repair of the delicate adhesive cuticle. Recent wear (visualised by Methylene Blue staining) was not age dependent, whereas permanent damage (visible as brown scars) accumulated with age, reducing the pads' flexibility.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Following damage, the lipid layer can be repaired and become again impermeable (Wigglesworth, 1945;Slifer, 1950). For soft insect cuticle, more than superficial damage can result in sclerotisation, leading to permanent brown scars (Lai-Fook, 1966).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of shear forces and ageing on the compliance of adhesive pads in adult cockroaches

Zhou

Robinson

Viney

et al. 2015

Journal of Experimental Biology

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“…It is characterized by fibrils which are aligned almost perpendicularly to the surface [4][5][6][7][8]. SEM of freeze fractures and TEM of the arolium of stick insects (Carausius morosus) showed that these cuticular rods originate from the endocuticular layer and are 44 to 74 m long with an average diameter of 1.65 m. Towards the surface the thick rods branch into finer fibrils [7].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

In vivo dynamics of the internal fibrous structure in smooth adhesive pads of insects

Dirks

Kabla

et al. 2012

Acta Biomaterialia

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Please cite this article as: Dirks, J-H., Li, M., Kabla, A., Federle, W., In vivo dynamics of the internal fibrous structure in smooth adhesive pads of insects, Acta Biomaterialia (2012), doi: 10.1016/j.actbio.2012.04.008 This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain. In vivo dynamics of the internal fibrous structure in smooth adhesive pads of insects AbstractMany insects with smooth adhesive pads can rapidly enlarge their contact area by centripetal pulls on the legs, allowing them to cope with sudden mechanical perturbations such as gusts of wind or raindrops. The short time scale of this reaction excludes any neuromuscular control; it is thus more likely to be caused by mechanical properties of the pad's specialised cuticle. This soft cuticle contains numerous branched fibrils oriented almost perpendicularly to the surface. Assuming a fixed volume of the water-filled cuticle, we hypothesized that pulls could decrease the fibril angle, thereby helping the contact area to expand laterally and longitudinally.Three-dimensional fluorescence microscopy on the cuticle of smooth stick insect pads confirmed that pulls significantly decreased the fibril angle. The fibril angle variation appeared insufficient to explain the observed increase in contact area. Direct strain measurements in the contact zone demonstrate that pulls not only expand the cuticle laterally (indicating a negative Poisson' s ratio of the pad's cuticle), but also add new contact area at the pad' s perimeter.

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“…The arolium cuticle of stick insects and cockroaches consists of cuticular rods that are oriented perpendicular to the surface and branch into finer fibres towards the epicuticle [16,19]. As in other types of insect cuticle, the epicuticle consists of the outer cuticulin layer and an amorphous inner layer that is penetrated by pore canals [15,16,[19][20][21][22].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mechanisms of fluid production in smooth adhesive pads of insects

Dirks

Federle

2011

J. R. Soc. Interface.

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Insect adhesion is mediated by thin fluid films secreted into the contact zone. As the amount of fluid affects adhesive forces, a control of secretion appears probable. Here, we quantify for the first time the rate of fluid secretion in adhesive pads of cockroaches and stick insects. The volume of footprints deposited during consecutive press-downs decreased exponentially and approached a non-zero steady state, demonstrating the presence of a storage volume. We estimated its size and the influx rate into it from a simple compartmental model. Influx was independent of step frequency. Fluid-depleted pads recovered maximal footprint volumes within 15 min. Pads in stationary contact accumulated fluid along the perimeter of the contact zone. The initial fluid build-up slowed down, suggesting that flow is driven by negative Laplace pressure. Freely climbing stick insects left hardly any traceable footprints, suggesting that they save secretion by minimizing contact area or by recovering fluid during detachment. However, even the highest fluid production rates observed incur only small biosynthesis costs, representing less than 1 per cent of the resting metabolic rate. Our results show that fluid secretion in insect wet adhesive systems relies on simple physical principles, allowing for passive control of fluid volume within the contact zone.

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Vulnerable Areas on the Surface of the Tarsus and Pretarsus of the Grasshopper (Acrididae, Orthoptera); with Special Reference to the Arolium

Cited by 68 publications

References 0 publications

Effect of shear forces and ageing on the compliance of adhesive pads in adult cockroaches

Effect of shear forces and ageing on the compliance of adhesive pads in adult cockroaches

In vivo dynamics of the internal fibrous structure in smooth adhesive pads of insects

Mechanisms of fluid production in smooth adhesive pads of insects

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