Namib Fog Harvesters

Dr Erica McAlister of London's Natural History Museum takes a look at some of the entomological pioneers, whose groundbreaking observations and experiments have led to some truly innovative developments.

Namib Desert beetles have evolved in a very special environment, where the only source of water exists in the air. For decades researchers tried to figure out what gave the beetles a unique superpower of drinking without water.

Dr Erica McAlister hears how desert ecologist Mary Seely unravelled the mystery by discovering an ingenious series of structures on their wing scales to trap night-time fogs as they emerged to bask on the tops of sand dunes during these nocturnal pea soupers. It’s now inspiring engineers to develop industrial sized fog harvesting systems for collecting water in some of the most arid areas of the planet

With contributions from Max Barclay (Curator of beetles Natural History Museum, London), physiologist Duncan Mitchell, (University of the Witwatersrand), ecologist Mary Seeley, physiologist Prof Andrew Parker (Oxford University)

Producer: Adrian Washbourne

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in May 2022.