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Yes, they drink – but most do so indirectly, through food. “Even dry and solid foods contain so-called metabolic water, formed by the oxidation of carbohydrates and fats. This is how the larvae of certain beetles and moths are hydrated and are able to withstand severe droughts,” says Sérgio Antônio Vanin, an entomologist (student of insects) at the University of São Paulo (USP). For the rest, there are wide variations in the way these creatures ingest water. Ants and beetles, like ladybirds, suck up raindrops or dew. Cockroaches, on the other hand, absorb the drops deposited on their cuticle. There are rare cases, such as the larvae of some beetles of the genus Tenebrio, which extract water from the steam in the air. Finally, certain insects – such as aphids and leafhoppers – feed on fluids such as plant sap and do not need another source of water.