pulvillus

[ puhl-vil-uh s ]

/ pʌlˈvɪl əs /

a soft, padlike structure located at the base of each claw on the feet of certain insects.

Origin of pulvillus

1685–95; < Latin, diminutive of pulvīnus cushion

pulu, pulv., pulverable, pulverize, pulverulent, pulvillus, pulvinar, pulvinate, pulvinus, puma, pumelo

The little tarsus is like the tarsus of the hind leg with its claws and its pulvillus, only, of course, it is smaller.

The Insect Folk |Margaret Warner Morley
The fifth (distal) tarsal segment carries a median adhesive pad—the pulvillus—on either side of which is a claw.

Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 13, Slice 4 |Various
Some people think that is the way the pulvillus on the fly's foot acts.

The Insect Folk |Margaret Warner Morley
Pulvilliform: having the appearance or structure of a pulvillus.

Explanation of Terms Used in Entomology |John. B. Smith

Extension plate: a structure at the base of the pulvillus whose function it is to extend it.

Explanation of Terms Used in Entomology |John. B. Smith

pulvillus

/ (pʌlˈvɪləs) /

a small pad between the claws at the end of an insect's leg

C18: from Latin, from pulvīnulus, diminutive of pulvīnus cushion