Beetle mania: This critter’s extra large sex organ could make human catheters safer

A beetle’s extra-large sex organ could hold the key to improving catheter design, according to a report on Phys.org.

According to the news site, a group of researchers at Kiel University in Germany recently conducted a study into the how the male thistle tortoise beetle manages to penetrate the coiled duct inside the female reproductive organ.

The researchers wanted to understand why the male beetle’s flagellum (sex organ) doesn’t buckle during intercourse, given that it is actually longer than the body of the beetle itself.

This challenging feat demonstrates parallels with catheterisation, a procedure which can be both dangerous and costly if unsuccessful. Incorrect catheterisation can cause infection and trauma, as well as adding significant healthcare costs arising from the need for prolonged care.

The beetle’s flagellum is required to be longer than its own body, due to the female’s reproductive organ taking the form of a coiled duct, which the male must fully penetrate.

On studying the flagellums under the microscope, the researchers found that the tip was “curved like a fish hook”, according to Phys.org.

This supports movement through the coil (provided that the curve of the flagellum tip matches the curve of the coil).

The team also found variances in stiffness, which presumably also promotes stability through the hard-to-navigate coil. By bending the flagellum at different points, the researchers were able to identify that while the base was stiff, it grew more flexible towards the other end, according to Phys.org. The tip itself was even found to be rubbery, further adding to the flexibility.

These characteristics combine to make safe penetration possible, with no risk of the flagellum buckling. The researchers drew correlations between this process and the insertion and placement of catheters in humans.

In catheterisation procedures, a thin tube has to be inserted into a vessel. The materials and designs used must be assessed for physical properties in order to reduce the risk of buckling or breaking.

Researchers Yoko Matsumura, Alexander Kovalev and Stanislav Gorb believe that their work could be used when considering catheter design. They published their findings on the open access site Science Advances.