Awesome Animal Fact - Loud Water Boatmen

Awesome Animal Fact:

Did you know the loudest animal, for its size, is the water boatman? One particular species of water boatman (Micronecta scholtzi), only about the size of a grain of rice, at 2 mm long, is capable of making the loudest sound relative to body size.

Scientists measured the volume of the water boatman's "song," even though the insect only sings underwater. They determined that these rowdy little critters can sing at 105 decibels, which is about as loud as a jackhammer pounding the concrete right next to you. A person can hear this sound standing at the edge of a pond where a boatman is singing at the bottom of the pond. The sound is produced below water, but most of the volume is lost when the sound crosses from water to air. This is probably a good thing for those of us who like the peacefulness of nature.

In case you're wondering how they make this sound, the male water boatman, in its attempts to attract females, rubs its penis against its abdomen. Kind of like how crickets make a ruckus by rubbing their wings together, except the water boatman uses its male sex organ instead. Will wonders never cease?

Photo Credits:
- Water boatman - DepositPhotos