| defense by foot adhesion in a beetle (hemisphaerota cyanea). | the beetle hemisphaerota cyanea (chrysomelidae; cassidinae) responds to disturbance by activating a tarsal adhesion mechanism by which it secures a hold on the substrate. its tarsi are oversized and collectively bear some 60,000 adhesive bristles, each with two terminal pads. while walking, the beetle commits but a small fraction of the bristles to contact with the substrate. but when assaulted, it presses its tarsi flatly down, thereby touching ground with all or nearly all of the bristles. onc ... | 2000 | 10841556 |