Study finds cicadas could project high-speed jets of urine at you [Video]

While most bugs release urine in droplets, cicadas take a more dramatic approach. 

A group of researchers found that these noisy little creatures can, in fact, project high-speed jets of urine. In a study published in PNAS, researchers explain that current models of how animals pee suggest that those who can jet urine are usually larger than 3 kilograms, and these new findings defy the current models as cicadas weigh about 2 grams.

“The assumption was that if an insect transitions from droplet formation into a jet, it will require more energy because the insect would have to inject more speed,” study researcher Elio Challita told Georgia Tech. “Previously, it was understood that if a small animal wants to eject jets of water, then this becomes a bit challenging, because the animal expends more energy to force the fluid’s exit at a higher speed. This is due to surface tension and …