GORB, S.N.: Structural Design and Biomechanics of Attachment Devices in Insects

Numerous microscopic studies on insect cuticle have described the remarkable diversity of surface protuberances. Cuticular protuberances serve diverse functions, such as body cleaning, air holding, maintenance of thermal balance, increase of the aerodynamic activity of the surface, sound generation etc. More frequently the microsculptures serve for the attachment or movement limitation between two contacting surfaces. The presence of such fields of tiny protuberances on the animal body may result in an increase of the frictional or/and adhesive forces in the region of contact with the corresponding surface or with the variety of surfaces. We studied a broad variety of mechanical systems of the insect cuticle adapted for attachment. Such systems, as leg pads, head-arresting system, wing-to-body locking devices, and intersegmental frictional areas of leg articulations contain surfaces evolved to fix parts of the body to each other, or to attach themselves to the substratum. Attachment provided by these systems is fast, precise and reversible. In order to show the different principles of morphology, ultrastructure and biomechanics of the systems, several examples were experimentally tested and the general rules of the interrelationship between the design and function were outlined. The results on ultrastructural architecture of insect cuticle together with tested material properties will possibly be useful for high-tech areas for the engineering of new surface-active materials.