Abstract To improve the friction and wear performance of the piston-cylinder liner friction pair, inspired by earthworms and leeches, 27 kinds of pistons with cylindrical pit arrays are designed and processed. Through a friction test, four superior textured pistons are optimized, and wear, life and thermal imaging tests are performed. Finite element analysis of the friction pair model is performed, and the friction and wear mechanisms are discussed. The results show that the pistons with cylindrical pit arrays have excellent friction and wear performance, less heat generation by friction, longer lives and less scratches on the cylinder liner. The temperature of the optimized textured pistons was reduced by around 5–10 °C. The wear amount of some textured pistons was reduced by over 50%, resulting in an improvement in their lifespan of at least 30% or more. The results of the finite element analysis indicate that the textured piston exhibited reduced deformation and favorable stress–strain distribution and satisfied the required contact pressure. Keywords: bionic inspiration; friction; wear; mud pump; piston; temperature