Scopula

Scopula

Scopula pads (pl. 'scopulae') are tufts of hair at the end of a tarantula's legs and pedipalps. They consist of microscopic hairs, each covered in even smaller hairs called setules. The result is a massive surface area.

When the scopulae are splayed out and placed against a surface, remarkable adhesion is produced due to the van der Waals force, which is an attractive force acting between individual molecules. This enables spiders with scopulae to climb even sheer, smooth surfaces such as glass. The adhesion is so great that the spider could grip using this force and support 170 times its own weight.

Scopulae are found in addition to, not instead of, two claws at the end of each appendage, called tarsal claws. They do not occur on all spiders.


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  • Scopula —  À ne pas confondre avec la pièce anatomique, la scopule ou scopula …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Scopula — Scopula: sind in der Arachnologie die Haare an den Beinen, Cheliceren oder den Pedipalpen von Spinnen; siehe Scopula (Spinne) eine Gattung der Schmetterlinge; siehe Scopula (Gattung) Diese Seite ist eine Begriffsklärung zur Unterscheidung… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Scopula — Scop u*la, n.; pl. E. {Scopulas}, L. {Scopul[ae]}. [L. scopulae, pl. a little broom.] (Zo[ o]l.) (a) A peculiar brushlike organ found on the foot of spiders and used in the construction of the web. (b) A special tuft of hairs on the leg of a bee …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Scopŭla — Scopŭla, nach Schrank Gattung der Lichtmotten, gebildet aus Arten der Gattung Botys Latr …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • scopula — [skäp′yoo lə] n. pl. scopulas or scopulae [skäp′yoolē΄] [ModL < L, broom twig, dim. of scopa, thin branch, shoot, akin to scapus, stalk: see SHAFT] Zool. a brushlike tuft of hairs scopulate [skäp′yoolit] adj …   English World dictionary

  • Scopula —  À ne pas confondre avec la pièce anatomique, la scopule ou scopula. Scopula …   Wikipédia en Français

  • scopula — /skop yeuh leuh/, n., pl. scopulas, scopulae / lee /. Zool. a dense tuft of hairs, as on the feet of certain spiders. [1795 1805; < NL scopula, L: a broom twig, equiv. to scop(a) broom + ula ULE] * * * …   Universalium

  • Scopula (Gattung) — Scopula Scopula imitaria Systematik Ordnung: Schmetterlinge (Lepidoptera) Überfamilie: Geometroidea …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Scopula frigidaria — Systematik Ordnung: Schmetterlinge (Lepidoptera) Familie …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Scopula decorata — Scopula decorata …   Wikipédia en Français

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