A tiny 2 millimeter insect makes as much noise as a plane — with your penis

The little insect Micronecta scholtzi makes sounds that reach 99 decibels when it rubs its penis against the head in a mating ritual.

A surprising contender holds the title of loudest animal on the planet relative to its size: the tiny water boatman Micronecta scholtzi.

With little more than 2 millimeters longthis unpretentious aquatic insect earned its title thanks to a publication in PLOS ONE in 2011.

The water boatman produces his deafening sound – which reaches 99.2 decibels – through an unusual method called “stridulation”. This process, common in certain insects, consists of rubbing parts of the body to generate noise. However, the boatman stands out for a unique adaptation: rubs the penis against the bodynamely the head, in a movement similar to that of a violin.

This unusual behavior produces a sound so loud that it can be heard by humans walking along a riverbank, although 99% of the sound is lost in the transition from water to air. As a term of comparison, the sound of a jet plane usually varies between 83.5 and the 110 decibels.

With a frequency of 10 kHz, well within the range of human hearing, this mating call is used to attract partners. The mechanics behind such a strong sound in such a small area – the width of a human hair – remains a mystery. “We don’t really know how they make such a loud sound using such a small area,” said Dr James Windmill from the University of Strathclyde.

The discoveries have a meaning that goes beyond the bizarre. Studying the water boatman’s sound production can help conservation efforts, as insect sounds can be used to monitor biodiversityexplains .

Additionally, the research has potential applications in acoustics and biomimetic technology such as sonar systems. Who knew a noisy penis could be so useful to science?