A small pad or cushion-like structure located between or beneath the claws of an insect or arachnid foot, used for adhesion and climbing.
From Greek em- (in) + podion (small foot), literally meaning 'in-foot.' Emerged as a technical zoological term in 19th-century entomology.
An empodium is nature's answer to gecko tape—insects evolved these incredibly complex microscopic structures made of hairs and special secretions that let them grab onto virtually any surface with supernatural grip, and we're only now learning how to synthesize them.
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