近日，日本物质和材料研究机构的研究人员在利用金花虫进行的实验中发现，生活在陆地的昆虫依靠其脚掌纤毛储存的气泡，在水中也能牢牢抓住物体表面行走。8月8日出版的英国科学杂志《皇家学会生物学分会学报》（Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences ）刊登了论文。
金花虫体长8毫米左右，如同小型的金龟子。研究人员将塑料板放在深1.5厘米的水中，观察金花虫在塑料板上行走的情形。他们发现，金花虫利用脚掌纤毛内储存的气泡驱走脚掌与塑料板之间的水。同时，它还利用脚掌纤毛分泌的黏性液体，使脚掌牢牢黏结在塑料板上。当它的脚掌从塑料板上抬起的时候，则将气泡一起带走。
这种纤毛长约60至70微米，密集分布在金花虫的脚掌上，是一种很容易储存气泡的结构。
研究人员认为，昆虫能在水中轻松地吸附和离开物体，这一机理有助于开发不使用化学黏结剂的“绿色黏结”方式。细田奈麻绘说，这一机理还有望用于研发水中作业机器人的腿部。（生物谷Bioon.com）
doi:10.1098/rspb.2012.1297
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Underwater locomotion in a terrestrial beetle: combination of surface de-wetting and capillary forces
Naoe Hosoda1,* and Stanislav N. Gorb2
For the first time, we report the remarkable ability of the terrestrial leaf beetle Gastrophysa viridula to walk on solid substrates under water. These beetles have adhesive setae on their feet that produce a secretory fluid having a crucial role in adhesion on land. In air, adhesion is produced by capillary forces between the fluid-covered setae and the substrate. In general, capillary forces do not contribute to adhesion under water. However, our observations showed that these beetles may use air bubbles trapped between their adhesive setae to walk on flooded, inclined substrata or even under water. Beetle adhesion to hydrophilic surfaces under water was lower than that in air, whereas adhesion to hydrophobic surfaces under water was comparable to that in air. Oil-covered hairy pads had a pinning effect, retaining the air bubbles on their feet. Bubbles in contact with the hydrophobic substrate de-wetted the substrate and produced capillary adhesion. Additional capillary forces are generated by the pad's liquid bridges between the foot and the substrate. Inspired by this idea, we designed an artificial silicone polymer structure with underwater adhesive properties.
