r/Awwducational Nov 09 '24

Verified African Woolly Chafers (Genus Sparrmannia): these beetles have a dense, insulating coat of "fur" that protects them from the frigid conditions of the desert at night

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u/SixteenSeveredHands Nov 09 '24 edited Nov 09 '24

Beetles of the genus Sparrmannia are widely distributed throughout the arid and semi-arid regions of southern Africa. They have very distinctive features, with large, plump bodies and tawny-colored "fur," and some species can measure up to 25mm (nearly 1 inch) long. 

They generally hide in underground burrows during the day, and emerge only at night, when the desert is substantially cooler. Their dense layer of "fur" (setae) acts as insulation, which allows the beetles to remain active at night, even when the temperature plummets.

Sources & More Info:

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u/cdbfoster Nov 09 '24

Genuine question, why does the fur help them? It's not like they're warm blooded. Is it just the heat of the day that they're keeping in?

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u/SixteenSeveredHands Nov 10 '24 edited Nov 10 '24

They're able to produce body heat by contracting their flight muscles, and the fur (which is especially thick around the thorax, where the flight muscles are located) helps to prevent that heat from dissipating.

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u/cdbfoster Nov 10 '24

Well that's more interesting than I could've hoped! Thank you!