If it had actually gone to the bathroom like we do — or like a dog — this insect would likely have died from exhaustion considering the number of times it had to squat down or raise its leg — in addition to the muscular movements required to urinate to empty.
You should know that this insect, just a few millimeters long, feeds by sucking the leaves, more specifically the fluid that circulates in the xylem, or the network of “tubes” that connect the roots to the leaves. Aside from the fact that this liquid is 95% water, the insect has to ingest a huge amount of liquid to extract the minimal nutrients it needs. And since it requires a lot of urination, it has long been known for expelling its urine in a high-velocity jet of droplets, earning it the sympathetic name “piss fly” in French.
However, this method must be energy efficient, otherwise the insect would not survive. Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta therefore wanted to understand the “technology”. Using miniature cameras, they tracked the movements of five of these Homalodisca vitripennis – that’s their official Latin name – and in particular of a pointed extension called the “anal stylet”: by rotating and pressing on the droplets before they emerge, they are compressed at a speed of 30 centimeters per second “catapulted”. With 80-thousandths of a second elapsing between each drop, the phenomenon takes the form of an ultra-fast jet—and less energy-intensive than our own method.
The phenomenon is not only of interest to biologists. In fact, the lead author of the research published in Nature Communications is an engineer: the discovery of this “superdrive” could inspire the design of self-cleaning machines, de-icing systems or even transportation systems.
Don’t miss any content
Encourage Octopus.ca
On the occasion of Francophonie Month, the Pieuvre.ca team would like to emphasize its attachment to the quality of the French language. That’s why we use Antidote every day to revise our lyrics.