How is the beetle 'love' underwater?

Taiwan scientists have finally discovered a "weapon" that helps scuba-diving bugs balance to successfully mate underwater.

Research by Dr. Kai-Jung Chi from Chung Hsing National University (Taiwan) and colleagues revealed how hard bristles on the male beetle's legs attach to the body of the female beetle with the sucking tip . Come on.

According to Interface magazine, the team directly measured the force of the "mounting tool" on the legs of two different scorpions. Dr. Chi explained, the ability to bind plays an essential role in the survival of beetles.

"Once mating is complete, the male must be separated from the female to get oxygen from the surface of the water, otherwise they may die due to lack of oxygen. In other words, the male beetle must attach and separate from the child. the faster the better, " said Chi.

Images taken under a microscope show that one of the two scorpions was chosen by Dr. Chi's group, which has a more primitive structure, and used a connected "weapon" of the shovel table top. male legs hair. The remaining scorpion has developed rounded suckers at the end of each leg, making them look like tiny straws.

Although the tiny suction tubes produce a stronger bond, the more primitive beetle's hair is compensated by another ability. The tiny ducts on the more primitive fur seem to "leak" as a glue, helping the male stick to his partner's body.

In addition, the fact that more primitive feathers of the beetles form weaker binding forces and are able to move around the body more freely than synonymous, the male beetle has the ability to resist abnormal swimming movements of children when "she" wants to shake off the unwanted mistress.

According to Dr. Chi, suckling eyelashes act as a typical straw, while shovel table hair acts as a fast, easy-to-control and overturning strip.

The discovery not only revealed an evolutionary trait in scorpion bugs, but understanding it could also inspire the design of engineering devices that help to mount underwater.