Pulvilli

The pulvilli are soft, cushionlike pads on the feet on insects and other arthropods, such as the housefly and ixodid ticks. More specifically, the pulvilli are located at the bases of the claws (#2 in the figure at right).

The pulvilli functions as an adhesive system, with their adhesion coming from two physical components: partly the adhesion caused by Van der Waals force, and partly due to an adhesive fluid secreted from the extremities onto numerous surfaces.