Whiteflies Trialeurodes vaporariorum attach their eggs to plants by a fascinating mechanism: Using their elaborate, non-invasive ovipositor, they implant the egg 'stalk' (pedicel) into the epidermis of the underside of leaves. The pedicel works like a wall plug embedded in sealing cement. This smart interconnection exhibits a maximum adhesive strength of 12.2 MPa, corresponding to a maximum pull-off force of 5.4 mN from rose leaves and to maximum 941 times the whitefly egg weight. Plant leaf turgor pressure and swelling of whitefly’s colleterial gland secretion (cement) surrounding the whitefly egg are assumed to facilitate the firm bond between egg and plant epidermis by a combination of form closure, friction locking, and adhesive forming a composite material in the contact region. Find the full story published in Arthropod-Plant Interactions …
