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How some beetles ‘drink’ water using their butts

Red flour beetles use special cells in their rear ends to suck water out of the air

A close up photo of several red flour beetles sitting on a pile of white flour with specks of flour stuck to some of the beetles.

Red flour beetles use certain cells in an organ in their digestive system to suck water out of fecal matter and back into their bodies.

HHelene/iStock/Getty Images Plus

By Freda Kreier

Some beetles “drink” using their butts, and scientists are starting to understand how.

Red flour beetles, a major agricultural pest, open their anus to get water vapor in the air flowing into the lower gut and condensing on any poop there.