A sculpture of a dung beetle on top of ball of dung. The beetle, aka Onthophagus taurus, has been called the world’s strongest insect by British and Australian scientists, as it can pull 1,141 times its own body weight -- the equivalent of a 70-kilogramme (154-pound) person being able to lift 80 tonnes, the weight of six double-decker buses. (Agencies)
The world’s strongest insect is a type of male dung beetle which needs its power to be able to mate with females in animal faeces, British and Australian scientists said Wednesday.
Onthophagus taurus can pull 1,141 times its own body weight -- the equivalent of a 70-kilogramme (154-pound) person being able to lift 80 tonnes, the weight of six double-decker buses.
The extraordinary strength of many of the beetles is due to their unusual mating arrangements.
Even weaker members of the species have a compensating trait in evolutionary terms -- huge testicles which increase their chances of fertilising a female.
"Insects are well known for being able to perform amazing feats of strength and it’s all on account of their curious sex lives," said Dr Rob Knell of Queen Mary, University of London, one of the researchers.
"Female beetles of this species dig tunnels under a dung pat, where males mate with them.
"If a male enters a tunnel that is already occupied by a rival, they fight by locking horns and try to push each other out."
Knell added that some male dung beetles are smaller and weaker, but do not have to fight for female attention due to their "substantially bigger testicles".
"This suggests they sneak behind the back of the other male, waiting until he’s looking the other way for a chance to mate with the female," he said.
"Instead of growing super strength to fight for a female, they grow lots more sperm to increase their chances of fertilising her eggs and fathering the next generation."
Onthophagus taurus’s amazing feats of strength are chronicled by Knell and Professor Leigh Simmons of the University of Western Australia in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
(Read by Lee Hannon. Lee Hannon is a multimedia journalist at the China Daily Web site.)英国和澳大利亚科学家本周三称，全世界力量最大的昆虫是一种雄性屎壳郎，这种屎壳郎需要很大的力量才能在动物粪便中与雌性屎壳郎交配。
屎壳郎可拖动相当于其身体重量1141倍的物体，这相当于一个体重70公斤(154磅)的人能举起重达80吨的六辆双层巴士。
很多这种屎壳郎的惊人力量源于它们特殊的交配形式。
但这一物种中即便“体质”较弱的成员在进化过程中也形成了一种补偿性特质，即巨大的睾丸，这一特征会增大它们与雌性屎壳郎交配成功的几率。
其中一名研究人员、伦敦大学玛丽皇后学院的罗布•克奈尔博士说：“昆虫以其惊人的力量而著称，这主要归因于它们奇特的交配方式。”
“该物种的雌蜣螂会在粪块下打洞，在那里等待雄蜣螂前来与它们交配。
“如果一只雄蜣螂进入一个已经被对手占据的洞穴，它们就会用触角抗衡，相互搏斗，努力把对方挤出去。”
克奈尔说，有一些雄蜣螂体积较小，力量较弱，但它们不需要通过搏斗来吸引雌蜣螂的注意，因为它们的“睾丸相当大”。
他说：“它们会躲在另一只雄蜣螂的背后，趁其不备时与雌蜣螂进行交配。”
“这种雄蜣螂会产生很多精子来增加让雌蜣螂受孕的几率，从而繁衍出下一代，而不是凭借力气来博得雌蜣螂的青睐。”
有关屎壳郎惊人力量的研究报告由克奈尔和西澳大学的雷•西蒙斯教授共同撰写，已在《皇家学会学报B类》上发表(译者注：B类指的是生物科学领域)。
