Insect legs type

Cursorial legcursorial leg

usually elongate and slim

well-developed femur and tibia

the length of these legs allow insects to cover a lot of ground with relatively few steps

the leg's slim profile contributes to an increased stride frequency as there is a reduction in weight at the distal end to be swung back and forth.

Example: Cockroaches

Raptorial leg raptorial leg

modified not for locomotion but grasping prey

insect with these legs are tend to be predator. Example: Praying mantis

spine often present on tibia and femur for a better grip

Fossorial leg fossorial leg

usually flattened, enlarged and heavily scleratized with tooth-liked projection on the outside to help insect to rake soil

tarsi are also greatly reduced to keep them out of the way during excavation

Some that lives underground has powerful foreleg to dig through the soil like the mole crickets

Saltatorial leg saltatorial leg(jumping hind leg)

specialized hind leg

femur and tibia are greatly large : to house powerful muscle that quickly release large amounts of stored energy

We could see it in most orthopterans.Other example: Fleas, treehoppers

Natatorial leg natatorial leg

Some insects live in aquatic habitats have specialized mid or hind leg for moving in water. Example : Diving beetle, water boatmen

Proleg proleg

locomotory appendages found in some juvenile insect

Some proleg has hooks or crochets at the distal end : allow larvae to better grip the substrate

Not true legs

not attached to insect's thorax unlike ture insect legs

not jointed

found on insect larvae such as Lepidoptera, Hymenoptera, Diptera

often flattened and have fringes or rows of setae to increase surface area

operate like little oars to help insect to paddle underwater