Flies and walls...

[caite_francis]

How can flies and many other insects walk up walls without falling? Do they have 'suction cups' on the end of their legs?

[zalaskit]

Hey there!


There are a few things that help flies walk on walls and ceilings.
like the hooks on the flies legs that facilitate it latching onto rough surfaces, as well as tiny hairs, working in the same way. They however do not have suction-cup-like structures, but do have an area of their legs that produces a sticky substance, that can also warp a little to better fit on the surface. and i suppose that having six legs with these structures give the fly enough traction to walk anywhere it pleases.

Endnote: Thanks for replying to my alberta post, and best of luck in university!

[mmiaosmiling]

walking insects have ugly setae~

[David George]

The segments, or tarsi, at the end of insect legs possess clawlike structures that help the insect hold on to different types of surfaces. These tarsal claws are used to grip the tiny irregularities on rough surfaces. But in some cases, insects do make use of a kind of adhesion. If the surface is smooth, the insect can hold on using the adhesive action of hairs located on sticky pads (known as the arolia or pulvilli) on the tarsi.

Some insects, such as grasshoppers, have pads on each of their tarsal segments, and some insects may have special adhesive pads on other segments of the leg. The pads typically contain numerous hairs that secrete an oily substance that causes the tips of the hairs to adhere to the surface. This substance provides the traction and stickiness that allows insects to hold on to smooth surfaces, such as glass.