So today I somehow ended up reading this article titled Mystery of the blunt-tipped beetle penis.
Yes, I know, weird porn habits.
Anyhow, among other things I learnt that the study of insect penises is really important, at least when it comes to identifying insect species.
You see, often individuals of different species look pretty much the same and distinguishing between them is impossible without DNA testing...or examining their dicks ๐
This is because a different shaped penis provides reproductive isolation, preventing related species from mating.
This is an example from the article linked above:
As you can see, one cock is pointy and the other is blunt. And it was thanks to that blunt penis that insect scientist Frode รdegaard managed to identify a new species of beetle in Norwae, the Silverweed leaf beetle (Galerucella anserina).
So yeah. Insect penises matter!
P.S. Now that I think of it, both @summertooth and @bitcoinman have an insect penis. Maybe they are a new species?!?!
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