<p>The growing threat posed by global warming has exacerbated shortages of freshwater and energy, driving the need to collect water from fog. The efficiency of mist collection is fundamentally limited by the processes of droplet capture and transport. Inspired by the differences in wettability on the carapace of desert beetles, the directional transport of water through cactus spines via the Laplace pressure difference, and the open-path structure of the leaf veins in kidney ferns, a mixed-wettability patterned surface (MLVS) with an open-path structure was constructed on the surface of a PDMS-filter paper composite membrane. The lateral veins rapidly capture fog droplets, which are then swiftly discharged via the main veins, creating a ‘highway’ for droplets from the lateral veins to the main veins and finally to discharge. In the final fog collection tests, the MLVS achieved a fog collection efficiency of 300&#xa0;mg&#xa0;cm⁻²&#xa0;h⁻¹, which is three times that of the original PDMS and six times that of the filter paper. The designed fog collection surface is simple and environmentally friendly, offering a potential solution to water scarcity in some arid regions.</p> Graphical abstract <p></p>