Hi 300m members !
I am not very active nowadays, but always appreciate all the posts here and in PF threads... nice work!
This is an example of a "missed" photo that has captured a special moment: An underwing that is having a pee in flight!
Sphinx colibri en train de faire pipi en vol / Hummingbird clearwing Having a Pee in Flight [Hemaris thsybe]
I never heard or saw anything like that that before now!
I guess that is because they eat so much nectar, that they would become too heavy, or would "explode" if the excess of water is not evacuated?
I did a search on the Net and I found a link** about that phenomen for the bees. So, that would not be "urine" they eject, but they are rather "voiding water"...
If you have any other interesting reference about that, do not hesitate to share them!
-----
**
No Privacy: Photograph Captures Bee Peeing Mid-Flight - Geekologie
Extract:
"Bees excrete ammonia and uric acid from their Malphigian tubules (insect version of kidneys). It ends up looking more like bird guano than a liquid stream like this. It is sort of dry and can vary in color from white to yellow.
What you are seeing in this photo is a bee voiding water. Voiding water is common in Bumble bees and honey bees as they have a high metabolic water production. Nectar has a high water content which not only provides the sugar necessary for activity but also an excess of water. This excess water needs to be removed in order to maintain a balanced water budget.
It's not urine, so it's not peeing. It's just water."