The Namib Desert Beetle

This beetle originated in the Namib desert of Southern Africa. With such a small percentage of rain per year (1.4cm), this beetle survives by collecting water on its back that has small ridges on it. The beetle teeters on its little legs and faces into the breeze and spreads out its wings, thus collecting droplets of moisture from fog on its bumpy back. These droplets flatten as they come into contact with hydrophilic (water-attracting) surfaces which allows the droplets to accumulate. Eventually the droplets become heavy at which point it drops into the beetle’s mouth.

In fact a US company wants to mimic the beetle that stores water by creating a self-filling water bottle. They want to cover the surface of a bottle with hydrophilic material, much the same as the beetle has on its back. They are in the process of building a functional prototype, says Miguel Galvez, the co-founder of the company. “We think our initial prototype will collect anywhere from half a litre of water to three litres per hour, depending on local environments.”

Photograph compliments of www.asknature.org