bild

Stable fly (Stomoxys calcitrans) foot, coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM). The two claws are used to grip rough surfaces. The hairy adhesive pads, or pulvilli (beneath the claws), allow the fly to cling to smooth surfaces. This fly feeds on the blood of mammals and is a significant pest of livestock. For a close-up of a hairy pulvillus see image number Z340/0887. Magnification: x242 when printed at 10 centimetres wide. (KEYSTONE/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY/EYE OF SCIENCE/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY)