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First published online May 30, 2008
Journal of Experimental Biology 211, 1958-1963 (2008)
Published by The Company of Biologists 2008
doi: 10.1242/jeb.014308
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Terminal contact elements of insect attachment devices studied by transmission X-ray microscopy

T. Eimüller1,2, P. Guttmann3 and S. N. Gorb2,*

1 Junior Research Group Magnetic Microscopy, Experimental Physics, University of Bochum, D-44780 Bochum, Germany
2 Evolutionary Biomaterials Group, Department for Thin Films and Biological Systems, Max Planck Institute for Metals Research, Heisenbergstr. 3, D-70569 Stuttgart, Germany
3 University of Göttingen c/o BESSY GmbH, Albert-Einstein-Str. 15, 12489 Berlin, Germany


Figure 1
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  		Fig. 1. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) image of the spatula-like terminal contact element of the beetle Gastrophysa viridula while in contact with a rough substrate. The thin, band-like fine structure of the spatula spreads over the surface. This preparation was dried prior to SEM imaging.

 

Figure 2
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  		Fig. 2. Transmission X-ray microscopy (TXM) images of setae in the beetle Gastrophysa viridula (a) not in contact and (b) in a fresh contact with a Si3N4 membrane surface. Please note changes in the shape and optical density of spatula. The optical density scales with the thickness of the material, if one assumes the same density of the material of the spatula.

 

Figure 3
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  		Fig. 3. Measurement of the thickness of a seta from the beetle Gastrophysa viridula in contact with the substrate. (A) TXM image of the spatula region of a seta, in contact with a Si3N4 membrane surface. (B,C) Line scans taken at the positions 1–8, as marked in A. To increase the signal to noise ratio, the scans have been averaged between the two lines of each position.

 

Figure 4
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  		Fig. 4. Measurement of the thickness of a seta from the beetle Gastrophysa viridula not in contact with the substrate. (A) TXM image of the spatula region of a seta which is not in contact with the surface. (B,C) Line scans taken at positions 1–8, as marked in A. To increase the signal to noise ratio, the scans have been averaged between the two lines of each position.

 

Figure 5
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  		Fig. 5. Transmission electron micrograph of the cross-section of a spatula from the beetle Gastrophysa viridula. Arrows indicate corrugations on the dorsal surface. ds, dorsal surface; fi, nanofibres; lu, lumen filled with the secretion; vs, ventral surface.

 

Figure 6
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  		Fig. 6. (a) TXM image of a seta of the fly Lucilia caesar in contact with a Si3N4 membrane. (b) Another seta at higher magnification. In both cases a groove-like ultrastructure, running longitudinally, can be observed in the contact region.

 

Figure 7
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  		Fig. 7. Diagram showing hypothetical deformation of the spatula, in the cross-section, during contact with a substrate. (A) The spatula in a non-contact state. (B) The spatula in a contact state. The diagram is based on findings from TXM and TEM.

 

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© The Company of Biologists Ltd 2008