In contrast to most animals, a number of insects utilize excrement to make. They make it their habitat to eat as well as in predator-prey encounters well as for hygiene and habitat, shelter construction, to reproduce as well as for defense from natural predators. (Kids do not do this at home.)
For our own species, insect feces could even contain important and inaccessible therapeutic properties. Let’s have a look.
A place to call home and a soulmate
For certain bugs, their excrement serves as an ideal habitat. Larvae belonging to Chelymorpha alternans, often referred to as tortoise beetles, are covered to protect themselves with the fecal cover that is in the form of coverings, fecal cases, or faecal barriers.
For some, it’s a way to deter adversaries. Pine insect ( Hylobius abietis) deposits feces close to each egg in the form of an anti-feeding agent.
Insect waste can play an important part in species reproduction since it can influence the attraction of mates and parental care as well as paternity guarantee. For instance, boring virgin insects, Hylotrupes bajulus make use of the faecal volatiles to interact with their companions and increase the chances of getting married.
Cockroaches are a pest that is known for their swagger and flourishing in filthy environments. Use the smell of their feces in order to find and return to resting areas.
This is really good news for city dwellers who want to keep their homes free of cockroaches: search for the roach’s droppings (little brown or black specks that resemble the shape of a pepper flake) You’ll be able to figure out where roaches are gathering.
Different faecal forms of A. Cassidine beetle larvae (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). B. Hemisphaerota Cyanea larva (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae. C. Monoloxis flavicinctalis (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae). D. Callicore pitheas larva (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae). E. Chrysoesthia sexgutella (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae). F. Hispine beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) Weiss, 2006
Poop is healthy and nutrient-rich
Similar to how farmers use cow manure for fertilizer, Ants disperse their feces to create the flora for chewing on. The fungi seem to thrive on digested and shredded leaves that the ants excrete. It’s the cycle of life at work.
Insects aren’t the only ones to make use of bug excrement. We humans also do so. The silkworm’s feces ( Bombyx mori) contain chemical properties, which make it analgesic, antipyretic, and anti-inflammatory properties within herbal remedies.
The termites, the Coptotermes Formosanus, use feces to construct safe nests by incorporating poop into the walls of the nest. They have a wide gut microbiome, which aids in the digestion of cellulose in their diet. A study in 2013 study found that this bacterial community supplies termites with a naturally-derived antimicrobial, which helps to fight pathogens.
An earlier study in 2000 has previously demonstrated that termites’ bacterial strains, including Neotermes castaneus, Neotermes castaneus, and Kalotermes flavicollis, produce centrin. This protein is linked to the process of cell division. The protein could aid researchers in understanding its function in the erratic cell division that happens in cancer, leading scientists to believe that the centrin may be an effective potential target for anticancer treatments.
