Jumping and Grasping: Universal Locking Mechanisms in Insect Legs

Thickened femora of insects are correlated to enlarged muscle masses and serve two basic purposes: jumping/kicking and grasping/holding. Modifications on the ventral femoral wall and the tibial flexor tendon that are possibly involved in catch mechanisms have been described in multiple insect taxa with both jumping and grasping legs. Our comparative study aims to explore the functional and structural similarities of these modification in jumping...