A fleshy pair of legs

Another dip into the micro world. This is a pair of prolegs of a currant moth caterpillar which met its end in 1876 when it was cleared (made transparent) and mounted on a glass microscope slide.

Caterpillars being as they are insects, have three pairs of true jointed legs on their thoracic segments. In addition they usually have 4 pairs of soft, unjointed "prolegs" on their abdomen. These fleshy prolegs have hooks on their ends which the caterpillar uses to help it cling on to surfaces.

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