In micromechanics the handling and positioning of micropartsinvolves sophisticated assembly procedures and a good understanding ofmicrotribological phenomena. Due to the very low object mass, adhesion betweenthe micropart and the handling tool (usually a mechanical gripper) becomes aperformance-limiting factor. Adhesion effects can be even larger than theforce that frees the micropart from the handling tool thus making correctpositioning impossible. Many useful design principles for optimized adhesionproperties can be found in biological systems. In this paper adhesion betweenthe foot of an insect and a surface was evaluated. The attachment pads of thegreat green bush cricket (Tettigonia viridissima) - used to attach theinsect safely to a variety of different surfaces - were investigated to drawconclusions that could be implemented in future technical microsystems. It isshown that the attachment pads are flexible micromechanical units capable ofself-adjusting to different scales of roughness. The erratic influence ofcapillary action due to adsorbed water is presumably suppressed by ahydrophobic layer on the pads. Attaching and releasing mechanisms as well asaccurate measurement of the adhesion force are discussed in detail.