New beetle species boasts ‘very large’ penis: ‘Unique genitalia’

It was the beetle of the bulge.

Colombian scientists learned the true meaning of the expression “big things come in small packages” after identifying a species of beetle that packs “unique genitalia” — a preternaturally large penis.

A study describing the well-endowed insect was published recently by the “Alexander von Humboldt Biological Resources Research Institute” in Bogota.

“The details of the genitalia [were] the key to this discovery,” Jhon César Neita, the institute’s curator of the Entomology and Invertebrates Collection who was involved in the study, told Jam Press.

The hung beetle, dubbed Aegidinus Elbae, was first discovered in the year 2000 in Chiribiquete National Park — the world’s largest tropical rainforest national park.

Members of the Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Group happened upon the showoff scarab while collecting samples of different biological groups distributed throughout the forest.

The insect specimens were then taken to the Humboldt Institute’s Entomology Collection, located in Villa de Leyva. They remained there for decades until the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, whereupon Neita and his team of researchers arrived to analyze them.

“When I arrived at the Humboldt Institute, I did a review of the material that was preserved, I separated what could be new to science, and I began the study of said material,” said the scientist. “One of the beetles we had to analyze was of the genus Aegidinus, which had also been collected on that expedition.”

Three years later, in June, researchers finally identified the insect as a new species.

The scientist found the beetle unique in that its “genitalia does not resemble that of any other individual of the genus,” as it’s “very large and developed,” according to the study.

Along with being massive, the invertebrate’s girthy phallus supports the “lock-and-key theory” in insect biology, which explains that for each male genital organ, there is a corresponding genital organ that’s a perfect fit.

Unfortunately, as of yet, scientists have not discovered a female of the species — which may or may not boast a supersize orifice.

Nonetheless, the finding suggests that reproductive isolation is evident — meaning they do not reproduce among the same species, per the study.

However, an abnormally big willy isn’t this creepy crawler’s only unique attribute.

Neita found that — unlike other members of the genus, whose faces are rough — this beetle boasts a smooth facial structure.

“It [the discovery] allows us to contribute the greatest possible knowledge of the country’s biodiversity,” the scientist explained, summing up the significance of the find. “It is also a great achievement for me as a researcher, since these types of findings show us, once again, that science always offers us something new.”

Specifically, this entomological Jonah Falcon proves that there is yet more diversity to be documented in beetledom, which represents the largest group of organisms in nature.

“This is like a Pandora’s box, which every time it is opened throws surprises and shows us the secrets of the country’s insect biodiversity,” gushed Neita. “There is still much to explore in Chiribiquete, since being a region that connects the Amazon and the Orinoquía, it offers us many elements of the biodiversity of ancient America that we must continue to discover.”