Drunk brawls, drunk falls, drunk accidents – these are not just human affairs. Some very common bugs we know of can’t handle their alcohol well, either, and will often be found stumbling and passing out once it hits them! So, next time you see a bug acting funny(or especially belligerent), make sure you ask it if it’s under the influence.
Fruit flies
These tiny creatures don’t look like much, but they sure act like us when it comes to getting drunk!
“You can observe them getting hyperactive and then disoriented and then they become quite unco-ordinated and sedated and eventually pass out…” says Professor Heberlein of the University of California. But what controls the flies’ response to alcohol? A gene called Cheapdate was discovered by Prof. Heberlein and her colleagues! Some of these flies have a built-up tolerance for alcohol and alcohol fumes, just like us humans, and can handle their liquor pretty well.
Honey bees
We thought being a bee was all fun and games till we found out that the bee-police does not like drunk fellows! As if getting in drunk-and-flying accidents was not enough, roaming around inebriated is apparently frowned upon in the bee-community and warrants penalties. Thanks to the ones wanting to protect the hive, an intoxicated bee might even get its legs chewed off. Otherwise, imagine alcoholic honey!But how do these little guys get drunk in the first place? Fermented nectar is the culprit!
Butterflies
If you ever find a butterfly consenting to be picked up, know that it’s very certain that the winged beauty is drunk.
OD’ing on sugar are these Red Admiral butterflies, who love ripe and fermented fruits. Red admirals start consuming sugar from October, preparing themselves for hibernation. (Have you ever noticed that there are more butterflies around fall?) This sugar converts to ethanol, a type of alcohol, and leaves the butterflies totally wasted! Not all admirals need to stock up on sugar, though, some can even hibernate as eggs and caterpillars.
Wasps
No one likes mean drunks, especially when they’re violent and stingy! Wasps were in the news some time back because of their drunken hostility and more-than-usual annoying stings. Skipping out the gross details, the worker wasps, who can’t procreate, have a sweet-tooth(and apparently exist only to feed the Queen wasps), were only looking for food, and thus broke into pub gardens. They also ate some rotten fermented fruit and turned out to be awfully aggressive drunkards!
Have you seen a bug flying upside down, perhaps hitting the walls? Share with us in the comments below!
Also Check Out: 5 Animals That Can Fool You And Science
Nice information
😀
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