Bruchid Beetle: Scientists Study The Most ‘Terrifying Penis Ever’

The Bruchid beetle’s penis has often been referred to as the most “terrifying” organ for useful sexual selection in the world. A team of scientists opted to study the sharp and somewhat destructive penis to discover why the beetle’s reproductive organ was designed in a manner that is so unpleasant for its female mates.

Male bruchid beetles, also known as cowpea weevils, possess spines on their penises that puncture their female mating partner’s reproductive tract, according to the Huffington Post. Significant internal damage in the female beetles occurs during mating.

The Behavioral Ecology journal notes that bruchid beetle females find sex so unpleasant that they are known to kick off the males as soon after the deed is done as possible. A team of American and Swedish scientist decided to embark on a journey to find out why the beetle’s penis is so “nasty, sharp, and destructive.”

Science Nordic had this to say on the subject of the world’s most terrifying penis:

“Armed with a laser, microscope and a penis pump, the researchers shaved spines off the beetles’ anesthetized penises, and they can now reveal that the longer and more destructive the spines, the more success the male beetle has. Researchers found that the males with the longest spines on their penises get the most offspring, independent of other factors such as body size.”

The team of penis-investigating scientists also found that a larger proportion of the ejaculate moved from the reproductive tract into the female insect’s body when mating with males with longer spines.

Although the findings of the study are very detailed and filled with very technical terms, it appears the researchers accidentally answered an age-old question – size does matter.