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Abstract
The cuticle of spider's exoskeleton is a hydrophobic and non‐adhesive material, but the jumping spiders have the distinctive attachment apparatus for adhesion on smooth dry surface without sticky fluids. We have examined the whole tarsal appendages of the jumping spider, Plexippus setipes with using scanning electron microscope to reveal the fine structural characteristics of the dry adhesion system. All eight legs have the scopulae with a pair of claws on the tip of feet. Each scopula is composed of two groups of setae that are capable of dry adhesion on smooth surface, and the hook structure of the claw is advanced to move on the rough surface. The setae toward the bottom of the tarsal segment are densely covered by numerous setules on the underside which broadened from middle to distal portion. It has been revealed by this research that the contact area of the setule is always a triangular shape, and these cuticular surfaces are connected by the elongated stalks from the underlying setae. It is likely that the nano‐scale structures including a triangular depression and a longitudinal groove on each setule could functionate when the spider detach its feet from the substrate.
Notes
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