Do Insects Fart?

Do Insects Fart?

Insect Anatomy

The first thing to confirm when considering if an organism has the ability to produce flatulence, is whether or not the creatures possess a rectum. In the case of insects, yes, they do! Secondary to this is the consideration of whether or not they have intestines or a “gut,” as microbial life forms inside of an organism’s gut is what is responsible for producing digestive gas. Once again, yes, they do! But this does not necessarily mean that all insects fart. While the anatomy of insects sets them up with the prerequisites for the ability to fart, the true determination behind whether or not they actually fart is the kind of gut microbes that they have and how their digestive gases are processed by the species’ body. Entomologist and professor of applied ecology at North Carolina State University, Elsa Youngsteadt discusses these phenomena in depth, explaining that, “some journal articles note that gases produced as a byproduct of digestion are absorbed into tan insect’s hemolymph – its blood – and then released through its spiracles (the breathing holes of insects that like their body).” This release of digestive gases would be more comparable to a burp, but in other cases, it can escape the insect’s body through the rectum depending on the kind of microbiome within their gut. Youngsteadt uses the example that both termites and cockroaches, “which are closely related to termites and have similar gut biomes, fart a lot – though they fart more on high fiber diets. But there are some beetle larvae that live and feed in rotting wood, and that aren’t known to produce gas, or at least not methane.”

Do Their Farts Smell?

There are the infamous “silent but deadly” …and then there are some farts that are odorless, no matter how much noise they produce. Odorless farts are usually comprised of methane or hydrogen, which are the primary gasses that constitute insect flatulence. “Some insects may produce gases that would stink,” Youngsteadt explains, “but there wouldn’t be much to smell, given the tiny volumes of gas that we’re talking about.” So, in short… no, not really.

Can We Hear Insects Fart?

According to Youngsteadt, probably not. “I’ve heard the sound of insects eating and I’ve heard the sound of insects pooping – you can hear the frass, or insect poop, hitting the ground,” Youngsteadt says, “But I’ve never heard one fart, or even seen a reference to such a thing.”

Farts From Another Time

Some of the most shocking evidence that insects can fart is centuries old. Many fossilized insects are encased in amber or tree resin similar to the infamous mosquito in the Jurassic Park books and films. Hilariously, some fossilized amber samples contain preserved bubbles stemming from the rectum of a trapped insect… literally fossilized farts!

Which Insects Do We Know for Sure Fart?

“Termites are the most famously farty insects,” Youngsteadt says. In fact, scientists predict that termites produce roughly 12,130,000 tons of methane per year. Beaded lacewings have similarly powerful farts that they actually use to their advantage. In a 1981 study on the larvae of the species, it was discovered that they used their farts to stun their prey… essentially hunting with farts as their weapon. However, it’s unclear if the flatulence is an evolutionary production meant specifically for hunting, or a natural “biproduct of their digestion” that they happen to make use of. While this proves that some farts can, indeed, be deadly, they can also be utilized as defense mechanism. In particular, the bombardier beetle has been known to release a hot stream of gaseous chemicals out of its rear when attacked, quickly deterring potential predators. In addition to these three legendary tooters, other notable farting insects include cockroaches, millipedes (although they aren’t technically insects…), and scarab beetles.  

Citations

Nao (2016) Do bugs fart?, Science Wows. Available at: http://sciencewows.ie/blog/do-bugs-fart/ (Accessed: August 30, 2021). Shipman, M. (2018) Do insects fart? (they sure do!), North Caroline State University News. Available at: https://news.ncsu.edu/2018/11/do-insects-fart/ (Accessed: August 30, 2021).