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Not slippery when wet

Understanding how flies stick to vertical surfaces and even upside down has stumped naturalists since the 17th century.
© Thomas Endlein

The Fascination of Insect Adhesion

For hundreds of millions of years, insects have been inhabiting almost every part of the world, and different species have developed adaptations to very successfully survive in almost all ecosystems.

The ability to survive in ecosystems obviously depends on many different and complex biological and non-biological factors. One very important skill however is the ability to safely walk and stick to many different types of surfaces. Insects have brought this ability to almost perfection, and their feet have inspired authors and scientists for centuries.

In this article Jan-Henning Dirks explores the history and the current field of insect adhesion.

You can read the article here

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Life on Land: Ecology, Evolution, Challenges, and Solutions

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