Macroporous poly(methyl methacrylate) (MPMMA) microspheres with more than a dozen dents on their surfaces were synthesized by Pickering emulsion polymerization. In this method, sulfonated polystyrene (SP) particles were used as stabilizers to establish a stable oil-in-water emulsion. Then, the system was fabricated by radical polymerization in the presence of the functional and polymeric monomers in the oil phase. The as-prepared MPMMA polymers were named "dandelion-pollen"-like microspheres, the diameter of numerous MPMMA microspheres was about from 7 mu m to 9 mu m and the size of numerous dents on the MPMMA surface was ranged from 0.96 mu m to 1.94 mu m. May be the formation of dents increased the surface area and binding sites, a favorable adsorption for lambda-cyhalothrin was shown in the subsequent adsorption process. The kinetic properties of MPMMA were well described by the pseudo-second-order and intraparticle diffusion equations, which indicating that the chemical process could be the rate-limiting step in the adsorption process for lambda-cyhalothrin. The equilibrium adsorption capacity of MPMMA were 241.12 mu mol g(-1), 222.67 mu mol g(-1), 164.62 mu mol g(-1) at 298 K, 308K, 318 K, respectively. The Freundlich isotherm model gave a better fit to the experimental data that indicating multilevel molecular adsorption for lambda-cyhalothrin. The dynamic equilibrium adsorption capacity of MPMMA and regenerative MPMMA were 30.79 mg g(-1) and 36.76 mg g(-1), respectively. Moreover, the dynamic adsorption curve was in good agreement with the Thomas model, which predicted that the performance of flow column was conformed to the assumptions of the model. At the end of four regeneration recycles, the adsorption capacity remained at 95% of the initial value, which implied that MPMMA particles had good regeneration capacity. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.