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