# Scopulae

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*Avicularia avicularia* leg

**Scopulae**, or **scopula pads**, are dense tufts of hair at the end of a spider's legs. They are found mostly on hunting spiders, for example [Salticidae](/source/Salticidae) and [Sparassidae](/source/Sparassidae). Scopulae consist of microscopic hairs, known as [setae](/source/Seta), which are each covered in even smaller hairs called **setules** or "end feet", resulting in a large contact area.

When the scopulae are splayed out and placed against a surface, remarkable [adhesion](/source/Adhesion) is produced due to the accumulation of adhesion of each individual setule interacting with a substrate. The adhesion may be due to the excretion of liquid from adhesive pads, although setae can adhere in both dry and wet modes.[1] This enables [spiders](/source/Spider) with scopulae to climb even sheer, smooth surfaces such as glass. The adhesion is so great that the spider could grip using this force and support 170 times its own weight. Possible physical mechanisms may include capillary, electrostatic, viscous, or [Van der Waals force](/source/Van_der_Waals_force). (Niederegger et al 2002; Betz and Kölsch, 2004)[2]

Scopulae have been used in [taxonomy](/source/Taxonomy_(biology)) to identify families, especially [Mygalomorphae](/source/Mygalomorphae). [3] Scopulae are found in addition to, not instead of, the claws at the end of each appendage, called [tarsal claws](/source/Spider#Locomotion).

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Peattie, A. Dirks, J. Henriques, S. and W. Federle. 2011. Arachnids secrete a fluid over their adhesive pads. PLoSOne 6(5): e20485.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Moon, Myung‐Jin; Park, Jong‐Gu (2009). "Fine structural analysis on the dry adhesion system of the jumping spider *plexippus setipes* (Araneae: Salticidae)". *Animal Cells and Systems*. **13** (2): 161–167. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1080/19768354.2009.9647208](https://doi.org/10.1080%2F19768354.2009.9647208). [S2CID](/source/S2CID_(identifier)) [85134095](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:85134095).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Pérez-Miles, F.; Guadanucci, J. P. L.; Jurgilas, J. P.; Becco, R.; Perafán, C. (2017). ["Morphology and evolution of scopula, pseudoscopula and claw tufts in Mygalomorphae (Araneae)"](https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00435-017-0364-9). *Zoomorphology*. **136** (4): 435–439. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1007/s00435-017-0364-9](https://doi.org/10.1007%2Fs00435-017-0364-9). [hdl](/source/Hdl_(identifier)):[11449/169952](https://hdl.handle.net/11449%2F169952). [S2CID](/source/S2CID_(identifier)) [253974122](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:253974122).

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