The effect of age on the attachment ability of stick insects (Phasmatodea)

• Marie Grote,
• Stanislav N. Gorb and
• Thies H. Büscher

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 867–883, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.72

• attachment pads is assumed to result from adaptations towards these plant surfaces [23][29]. Phasmids possess smooth adhesive pads on their tarsomeres, the euplantulae, and one larger pad at the pretarsus, the arolium [30]. Investigations of the specific functionality of both euplantulae and the arolium by

• Labonte and Federle [31] have shown that the arolium and euplantulae each perform different tasks. The arolium is used while climbing upside down, whereas the euplantulae generate friction and are used in upright walking. Phasmid euplantulae are covered with different surface microstructures that are

• likely adapted to specific surface parameters in their environments [32][33][34]. It has been shown that nubby euplantulae perform better on rough surfaces whereas pads without protrusions perform better on smooth surfaces [35]. Experimental studies concerning the attachment ability of phasmids

Comparative analysis of the ultrastructure and adhesive secretion pathways of different smooth attachment pads of the stick insect Medauroidea extradentata (Phasmatodea)

• Julian Thomas,
• Stanislav N. Gorb and
• Thies H. Büscher

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 612–630, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.52

• euplantulae. They are both supported by an adhesive secretion delivered into the interspace between the attachment pads and the substrate. In this study, we analysed and compared internal morphology, material composition and ultrastructure, as well as the transportation pathways in both adhesive organs in the

• the material composition of attachment pads and the distribution process of the adhesive secretion can potentially aid in the development of more effective artificial attachment systems. Keywords: adhesion; arolium; biomechanics; euplantulae; friction; functional morphology; tarsal secretion

• of the two pad types [47][52][53]. In this study, we compare the ultrastructure and material composition of the two smooth tarsal (euplantulae) and pretarsal (arolium) attachment pads of the stick insect Medauroidea extradentata (Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1907), focusing on their functional differences

Physical constraints lead to parallel evolution of micro- and nanostructures of animal adhesive pads: a review

• Thies H. Büscher and
• Stanislav N. Gorb

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 725–743, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.57

• , such attachment pads, similarly to the hairy ones, are ventrally located on the tarsus (e.g., euplantulae) or at the pretasus (e.g., single arolia or paired pulvilli). In some cases, attachment structures are present on the tibia as well [1][66][109][123][124][125]. Smooth attachment pads are found in

• ., the pulvilli of flies [60] or the plantulae of Hymenoptera [146]) which are hairy in some taxa and smooth in others. Similar structures in different orders (e.g., the pulvilli of flies and true bugs [1][60]) or the plantulae in Hymenoptera (e.g., [172]) and euplantulae in other insects (e.g., [173

• independently evolved at least two times [118]. In some groups, a combination of the two types is found on the tarsus (e.g., smooth arolia and hairy soles or hairy euplantulae in Mantophasmatodea [2][59], Tipulidae (Diptera) [1][60][177][178], Plecoptera [1][179] and Lepidoptera [1][180][181][182][183

When the going gets rough – studying the effect of surface roughness on the adhesive abilities of tree frogs

• Niall Crawford,
• Thomas Endlein,
• Jonathan T. Pham,
• Mathis Riehle and
• W. Jon P. Barnes

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 2116–2131, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.201

• similar to that of the pad epithelial cells. Under such conditions, interlocking can occur, as has also been recorded in the euplantulae of stick insects, which consist of frictional ridges [38]. Larger scale roughnesses, on the other hand, appear to result in lower forces. In part this is due to

Functional diversity of resilin in Arthropoda

• Jan Michels,
• Esther Appel and
• Stanislav N. Gorb

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 1241–1259, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.115