Lonely Beetles Lose Weight...

It's stressful being alone, while people cope in many different ways, the passalus (bess, patent leather etc.) beetles lose weight. A study found that these social insects lost weight when they're perceived to be alone. How did they test it? Well... with sound, crickets, and silence. Studies referenced: Lonely Beetles Lose Weight: Absence of Conspecific Sounds Negatively Impacts Body Mass in Larval and Adult Passalus Beetles - Davis 2025 Walking while Parasitized: Effects of a Naturally-Occurring Nematode on Locomotor Activity of Horned Passalus Beetles - Davis et al. 2021 Delayed dispersal and prolonged brood care in a family‐living beetle - Dillard and Maigret 2017 Parasite Manipulation of Its Host’s Physiological Reaction to Acute Stress: Experimental Results from a Natural Beetle-Nematode System - Davis et al. 2017 Footage from these excellent channels: Bug of the Week Frank Taylor Laura Hughes Metapathogen Mywildbackyard Nature Documentaries Nature Tales ThePlantPirate Become a Member: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0cAEiKx-5RhzY3lA91XLyw/join Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beetlecast_?igsh=a2V2YTV2Y2xqMmY2&utm_source=qr