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Created: 2012-01-12
Updated: 2012-01-12

Trenches gather water: flying saucer trench beetle


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Slide_show_arrows  1 of 1 Flying saucer trench beetle, Lepidochora discoidalis / Rebecca Hsu / LicenseCC-by-nc-nd - Attribution Non-commercial No Derivatives

Trenches created by the flying saucer trench beetle collect water because the edges are above the sand surface and perpendicular to fog-bearing wind.

Biomimicry Taxonomy
 
Taxonomy_1 Get, store, or distribute resources >
Taxonomy_2 Capture, absorb, or filter >
Taxonomy_3 Liquids
Biomimetic Application Ideas
 
  • Water collection in arid environments
  • Structural and reversible water collection methods

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[Collapse all sections] Summary
"A third method involves uptake of free water directly from fog-moistened sand. The most elaborate procedure is used by the genus Lepidochora (Seely and Hamilton, 1976) (Fig. 3 c). These flat, circular, short-legged beetles construct a shallow trench 2-4 mm deep in the moist sand surface during fogs. The ridges of the trench, elevated above the sand surface and oriented perpendicularly to the direction of the fog-bearing wind, attain a higher water content than the undisturbed surrounding sand. The beetles then return along the trench ridge, flattening it as they extract part of this moisture." (Seely 1979:219-220)
About the inspiring organism
Tenebrionidae
Tenebrionidae


Organism/taxonomy data provided by:
Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2008 Annual Checklist
Bioinspired products and application ideas

Application Ideas: Water collection in arid environments. Structural & reversible water collection methods.

Industrial Sector(s) interested in this strategy: Construction, water management

References
Seely MK. 1979. Irregular fog as a water source for desert dune beetles. Oecologia. 42(2): 213-227.
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Seely MK; Hamilton III WJ. 1976. Fog catchment sand trenches constructed by tenebrionid beetles, Lepidochora, from the Namib Desert. Science. 193(4252): 484-486.
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