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The cosmopolitan and polyphagous two-spotted spider mite Tetranychus urticae (Acari, Tetranychidae) exhibits a remarkable host plant range.A cryo-scanning electron microscopic study of T. urticae in contact with selected hosts was conducted, demonstrating the universal attachment of pretarsi to a variety of plant surface types, including crystalline waxy, glandular, and non-glandular hairy, as well as non-wettable and wettable surfaces.Similar to spiders and geckos, T. urticae bears a dry hairy attachment system.Beside the six empodial hairs (setae), each leg is equipped with four tenent (adhesive) setae with multi-part spatulate terminals (subunits), independent of the developmental stage.The cryo-scanning electron micrographs clearly demonstrate the formation of intimate contact between spatulate tips and substrates.Results are discussed in the context of arthropod attachment and arthropod-plant interactions.
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Dagmar Voigt (2016) studied this question.
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