Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

This Beetle's Penis Is Longer Than Its Body and It's Teaching Scientists Some Valuable Lessons

Catheters cause thousands of deadly infections a year — for an updated design, scientists look to beetle penises.

The complicated process of catheterizing — inserting a thin, flexible tube into a medical patient for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes — may soon be made easier thanks to an unexpected model: the beetle penis.

The sexual organ of the thistle tortoise beetle (Cassida rubiginosa), a Eurasian-native green leaf beetle originally introduced to New Zealand to control invasive Canada thistle, has caught the attention of scientists for its unusual shape and structure. Though the female beetle’s sexual organ is unusually complicated — both long and spiral in shape — damage to and breakage of the male’s appendage is exceedingly rare.


To find out why, researchers from Kiel University in Germany harvested 10 thistle tortoise beetle penises and subjected them to a variety of strength and flexibility tests, as outlined in a December Science Advances study.

“As far as we know, there are no studies that apply a bending test for such a small biological structure,” lead study author Yoko Matsumura told Discover. “So we had to design our experimental setup and create tools to carry out the experiment completely by ourselves.”

The researchers measured the organ’s stiffness in 300-micrometer segments under a microscope, finding that the penis — which is longer than the beetle’s body — was stiffer near the base and more flexible at the tip.

“The relatively low bending stiffness of the flagellum’s apical part is advantageous for the flagellum, allowing it to fit into the strongly spiraled spermathecal duct of the female,” the researchers wrote. “On the other hand, the relatively high bending stiffness of the rest of the flagellum enables it to efficiently transfer the penetration force applied to the proximal end of the flagellum.”

The researchers also noted that the member had a soft inner curve, made from a rubberlike protein called resilin, and harder outer curve. This composition, along with its cylindrical shape, maybe what lends the organ its remarkable resilience.

“The animals can achieve the penetration of a delicate and elongated structure into a very complicated duct with very rare breakage,” Matsumura said. “We hope that our finding will help improve medical tools — for example, medical catheters.”

Catheter use in medical settings is rife with complications. Bloodstream infections caused by catheters reportedly cause 28,000 ICU deaths a year, and UTIs due to urinary catheters are the most common healthcare-associated infection, according to the CDC. A smaller, more efficient catheter could make insertion and removal faster and easier, which in theory could cut down on the potential for bacterial contamination.

“The biggest drawback of catheter use is possible health complications caused by different factors. As one of the factors, inaccurate catheter tip location is discussed. Although there are constraints for changes of the catheters’ design due to the complexity and diversity of catheter usage, the self-controlling system of the beetle flagellum position can be potentially applicable,” the researchers wrote.

The findings of the thistle tortoise beetle organ can now be synthesized with the results of other beetle and insect penis experiments, of which apparently there have been quite a few.

"I study the penises of many insects," Matsumura told NPR.

More from News

Donald Trump; Superman (2025) poster
Joe Raedle/Getty Images; Warner Bros. Pictures

White House Blasted After Portraying Trump As Superman In Bonkers Poster Mock-up

The White House was mercilessly mocked online after it posted a revised poster for the latest Superman film that features President Donald Trump as the Man of Steel.

The latest big screen adaptation of the famed superhero comic, Superman, was directed by James Gunn and stars David Corenswet as the titular superhero, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor. The film has received positive reviews and has already made an estimated $2.8 million from Tuesday previews for a total $21 million, including Thursday previews.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Charlie Kirk
Real America's Voice

MAGA Influencer Charlie Kirk Called Out After Blaming DEI For High Death Toll In Texas Flooding Disaster

Turning Point USA founder and MAGA influencer Charlie Kirk was harshly criticized after he claimed the death toll in the flash floods that have devastated central Texas "would not have been as high if it wasn't for DEI," ridiculously suggesting that principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion were responsible.

Kirk's comments are reflective of President Donald Trump’s broader push to dismantle federal programs focused on diversity and inclusion—part of what he pledged in his inaugural address would be a campaign to stop attempts to “socially engineer race and gender into every aspect of public and private life.”

Keep ReadingShow less

People Reveal The Dark Secrets They Discovered About Someone After They Died

Sometimes you never know who someone is until they're gone.

Everyone has their secrets.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Jesse Watters; Hakeem Jeffries
Fox News; Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Jesse Watters Pathetically Tries To Burn Hakeem Jeffries With Bizarre 'Rule For Men' Rant

Fox News personality Jesse Watters was widely mocked after he criticized House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries for having recently shared a photo of himself on Instagram that appeared to be digitally altered—with the bench he was leaning against noticeably warped around his hips.

You can see Jeffries' photo below.

Keep ReadingShow less
Snoop Dogg
Christopher Polk/Billboard via Getty Images

Snoop Dogg's Puppy Instagram Breaks Internet

Snoop Dogg introduced his fans to the newest little bow-wow in his household, a puppy named Baby Boy Broadus.

The adorable small tan French bulldog made his debut on the rapper’s Instagram account on June 28th, sporting a Louis Vuitton leash and chewing on his owner’s Death Row Jacket.

Keep ReadingShow less