Proleg
Prolegs are the fleshy, stubby little structures found on the ventral surface of the
abdomen of most
larval forms of
insects of the Order
Lepidoptera, though they can also be found on other larval insects such as
sawflies and a few types of
flies. Prolegs of lepidopteran larvae have a small circle of gripping hooks, called "crochets". The arrangement of the crochets can be helpful in identification to
family level. Prolegs are not true
legs; they are not jointed, and so lack the five segments (coxa, trochanter, femur, tibia, tarsus) that true insect legs possess. They have their own musculature, but it is limited, and much of the movement of the prolegs is accomplished via
hydraulics.
*Peterson, A. 1948.
Larvae Of Insects. Part I: Lepidoptera & Hymenoptera; Part II: Coleoptera, Diptera, Neuroptera, Siphonaptera, Mecoptera, Trichoptera. Columbus, OH.
*Richards, O.W. & R.G. Davies. 1977.
Imm's General Textbook of Entomology, 10th ed. (2 Volumes). Chapman & Hall, London.
*Snodgrass, R.E. 1935 (1993 reprint).
Principles of Insect Morphology. Cornell University Press, Ithaca, NY.
*
How Many Legs Do Caterpillars Have?
