While many of us might think very little of insect poop (what with all the crazy ongoings of this world!), it turns out that these little ‘droppings’ could actually have numerous and important functions in the lives of the insects that uhm…drop them. 😉
Unlike most of us, insects find their poop to be extremely useful even when most of the nutritional value has been drained from it.
For example, some insects use their poop to build their homes, while others use it as a means of chemical defence from nearby predators. So, with this in mind, we will delve deep into the weird world of insect poop, and its importance in modern medicine!
A Crucial Element for Survival
There are a few bugs out there that would consider life an impossibility without their excrement, Take for example the tortoise beetle that uses its poop as a shelter to house its larvae. Other insects like the pine weevil rely heavily on its excrement to deter enemies from coming close to any of its eggs.
And did you ever think that Cupid’s arrow could be made of excrement matter? Well, according to the virgin boring beetle, it’s all in the poop! Indeed, females use their fecal matter to improve their chances of meeting a lover and ultimately mating.
And what of cockroaches that are infamous for their love of dirt? Well, turns out these incessant little critters use their feces as a personal scent to return back to their nests. Ugh!
Healthy and Nutritious Excrement
Ahh, ants; the masters of the insect universe. These savvy little creatures have been known to use their own excrements to grow fungi and later eat them for sustenance.
As for we humans, we rely heavily on the poop of silkworms to cultivate pharmacological substances used in ant-inflammatory drugs and analgesic medicines.
Nevertheless, insect poop does have its downsides. Some people develop allergic reactions to certain insect excrement once they come into contact with it or inhale these small droppings. As such, entomologists have to stay hard at work figuring out which excrements are useful and which can prove dangerous to those around them.
Reports suggest that most governments are pumping a lot of money in studying insect excrement and discovering ways in which certain poop can be put into good use. Though still in its latent stages, such research projects are making significant headway in putting insect excrement to good use in the coming years.
