Insect legs are modified for different functions: 1. Saltatorial legs are adapted for jumping with elongated femurs and tibias. 2. Raptorial legs are modified for grasping prey with Mantids and ambush bugs as examples. 3. Fossorial legs are adapted for digging with mole crickets and cicada nymphs as examples.

1. Insect leg modifications
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2. Insect leg modifications
1. Saltatorial – jumping
2. Raptorial – seizing
3. Fossorial – digging
4. Natatorial – swimming
5. Cursorial – running
6. Ambulatory- walking
7. Clinging or scansorial
8. Sticking legs
9. Foraging – pollen collecting

3. 1. Ambulatory legs
• are used for walking
• structure is similar to cursorial (running) legs
Examples: Fore and middle legs of cockroach
Bugs (order - Hemiptera)
leaf beetles (order - oleoptera)

4. 2.Saltatorial hind legs
• adapted for jumping
• characterized by an elongated femur
and tibia
• Examples: Grasshoppers, crickets
(order - Orthoptera).

5. 3.Raptorial fore legs
• modified for grasping (catching prey)
• Help in catching prey
Examples: Mantids (order Mantodea),
ambush bugs, giant water bugs and water scorpions
(order Hemiptera

6. 4. Fossorial fore legs
• Forelegs are modified for digging
• Examples: Ground dwelling insects
• mole crickets (order - Orthoptera)
cicada nymphs (order Hemiptera)

7. 5. Natatorial legs
• modified for swimming
• have long setae on the tarsi
• Examples:
Aquatic beetes (order Coleoptera)
bugs (order Hemiptera)

8. 6. Cursorial legs
• modified for running
• long, thin leg segments
• Examples:
Cockroaches (order Blattaria)
ground and tiger beetles (order Coleoptera)

9. 7. Scansorial or Clining leg
• All three pairs of legs of head house
• Tibia is stout
• The tarsus is single segmented
• There is a single large claw that usually fits against a
thumb-like process

10. 8. Sticking leg
• All the three pairs of legs of housefly
• Pretarsus consists of a pair of lateral adhesive pads
called pulvilli and a pair of claw
• Arolium is absent
• A median spine like structure called campodium is
present
• The pulvilli are covered with dense mats of tiny
glandular hairs called tenant hairs

11. 9. Foragial leg
• Pollens collecting and carrying leg -honey bee
• Eye brush: Hairs on tibia useful to clean the
compound eyes
• Antenna cleaner: Velum is a movable clasp present at
distal end Tibia
• Pollen brush: useful to collect pollen