Scientists freeze two grasshoppers that are 'forming' to study

Maybe you don't know, we're living at the renaissance of insect shape research. With MicroCT technology - basically, a miniature version of CAT tomography , we were able to create accurate holograms without destroying the specimen. We can now scan and cut everything without worrying, and obviously we don't miss that opportunity to discover what the sex organs of grasshoppers are in during mating look like .

You are not mistaken. Taking the title " for science" , scientists let the two " grasshoppers " then quickly freeze them. This action is primarily to study how the grasshopper's genitals are shaped, how they work and from there, better understand the locust species.

"It has long been believed that the sex organs of female insects are not different from other species," said co-author Derek Woller from Texas A&M University . "It turns out that the grasshoppers we studied have a rather different body, but you have to do a lot of research and look very closely to see it."

Scientists let the two grasshoppers "shape" and quickly freeze them.

It is impossible to use grasshoppers from biology museums or catch a natural grasshopper to study, they have to let the male and female grasshoppers do " things " " , the research can be completed. Therefore, they built a separate space for two grasshoppers to be comfortable "working" (under camera conditions are everywhere), providing some nutritious fresh food (some romaine lettuce leaves) for They wait for them to "puzzle" (sex). Just as the miraculous event of that Creator took place, they froze both grasshoppers at -80 degrees Celsius. Poor two grasshoppers.

But all that is for science. When they cut the other two grasshoppers, they had a lot more information about the genital organs of locusts and at that time, they really realized how strange it was.

The male grasshopper has an extra latch that allows it to fasten its body to the female (correct sense of formation). They also have an inner cavity that contains a complex penis component, a structure that supports clinging and stimulating the female genitals, a vas deferens and many other support structures. As for the grasshopper, they also have a separate compartment designed to receive sperm and contain eggs, along with a lid to seal the whole cavity.

Different species of grasshoppers have a different method of mating.

These two bodies locked together with an extremely strange "jigsaw" method. As Mr. Woller explains, males ride on females, open their back covers, and push the entire penis structure out of their bodies. It makes the structure bulge like a balloon, and the part connects to the female genitalia and implants the mating process.

Seemingly strange enough, Mr. Woller added that different grasshoppers have a different method of mating. We will not know the difference between more than a dozen species of grasshoppers studied until their genitals are observed, in all shapes and sizes. This can be considered as a way of distinguishing different species as Charles Darwin did in the past, only this is the observation and study of their genitals.

The idea of "cold" and "genital" is an unattractive combination (cold is shrinking, isn't it?), But it turns out, we can still discover many interesting information .