'Singing penis' sets noise record for water insect (BBC)

[eppur_se_muova]

By Ella Davies
Reporter, BBC Nature

A tiny water boatman is the loudest animal on Earth relative to its body size, a study has revealed.

Scientists from France and Scotland recorded the aquatic animal "singing" at up to 99.2 decibels, the equivalent of listening to a loud orchestra play while sitting in the front row.

The insect makes the sound by rubbing its penis against its abdomen in a process known as "stridulation".

Researchers say the song is a courtship display performed to attract a mate.

Micronecta scholtzi are freshwater insects measuring just 2mm that are common across Europe.
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more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/13958630




How many times have we heard the excuse, "Honest, I was just stridulating!" :P

[Poll_Blind]

1. When I do the same thing as the boatman, I often forget entirely about attracting a mate.

PB

[ZombieHorde]

4. Now we know why you are poll blind.

Ha! Practice makes perfect.

[Poll_Blind]

7. .

:hide:

PB

[ZombieHorde]

2. The link has a recording of the penis song, and the volume control goes up to 11.

Too funny.

[MineralMan]

3. Please help stop me from posting "singing penis" jokes!

Brooks & Dunn come to mind, for example.

[MineralMan]

5. Billy! You've been in there for half an hour.

And what's that noise? Are you stridulating again? There are other people in this house, you know...

[fascisthunter]

6. I Knew about the Skin Flute... but this?

[Poll_Blind]

8. "I was just cleaning it...and it went off!"

:hide:

PB

[rug]

9. How does it whistle?

[mike_c]

10. laugh all you want, philistines...

...but I teach an entomology course in fall semester and I'm gonna have to describe this to a room full of giggling undergrads. :rofl:

[Call Me Wesley]

11. Along the coral reefs of the once French penisland,

there lives a bug who ... PEN ISLAND, PEN ISLAND!

Good luck with that! :rofl:

[rug]

12. At least you'll know why they're singing during class.

[eppur_se_muova]

13. Be glad you're not teaching mycology ...

[sakabatou]

14. I can already hear a song about this.

[Fire Walk With Me]

15. Being an insect, I wonder if it ever asks "does this bug you"?