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This question is mainly applicable to beetle's and cockroaches. If I flip them so their legs point upward, they usually squirm around and wiggle trying to come back upright. Sometimes they succeed, and turn right side up again; sometimes they don't. Do insects have any built in mechanisms to unflip themselves.

I was unable to find any sources, but I believe they should, since insects climb stuff, and they may land inverted if they fall, so a mechanism might've been evolved to unflip themselves.

Remi.b
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Twisted Genes
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    Why don't you consider their attempts to come back upright as a mechanism to do so? If they are having difficulty, it might be because artificial surfaces provide an environment they have not experienced over evolutionary time: that is, very flat surfaces, with no debris around for traction. – Bryan Krause Aug 03 '17 at 03:35
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    Why don't you consider their attempts to come back upright as a mechanism to do so? I could attempt to fly, although I'd die if I tried, since I have no mechanisms (wings, hollow bones) to fly. – Twisted Genes Aug 03 '17 at 07:10
  • Pinging @BryanKrause – Twisted Genes Aug 03 '17 at 07:26
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    @Pritt Air is not the natural fluid for us to fly, you would fly if you change the fluid to water( that is swimming). Hope u understand the analogy. – JM97 Aug 03 '17 at 14:41
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    You seem to have skipped the second half of my statement. I think your question is a bit like putting a human on glare ice, perfectly smooth, and asking them to try to run. Then, when they slip and fall, you ask "Do mammals have mechanisms to keep themselves from falling while running?" – Bryan Krause Aug 03 '17 at 16:24
  • But @BryanKrause insects getting flipped isn't an artificial phenomenon is it? It could happen as an insect climbs a wall and slips down. It could happen anywhere on Earth's landmass. – Twisted Genes Aug 04 '17 at 00:40
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    I'm suggesting that the beetles and cockroaches you see are probably only struggling because you have them on a very flat surface. In natural environments there are almost always going to be other things around to grab on to. – Bryan Krause Aug 04 '17 at 00:53
  • @BryanKrause I'm led to this sort of thinking. Human civilizations (with flat floors) has been here for centuries. Insects have been regularly invading human settlements due to the great abundance of food there. Given that insects have short lifespans, haven't they evolved mechanisms to unflip themselves? (P.S. I believe cockroaches are more commonly found in human settlements rather than in the wild, correct me if I'm wrong. – Twisted Genes Aug 04 '17 at 07:44
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    https://biology.stackexchange.com/questions/3278/why-do-cockroaches-flip-over-when-they-die The answer to this question suggests healthy cockroaches flip back no problem. – Bryan Krause Aug 04 '17 at 15:01
  • Thank you @BryanKrause . Would you care to write all you told as an answer so that I can accept and upvote it? It would also mark this question as resolved. – Twisted Genes Aug 04 '17 at 15:50

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Well, many insects have developed ways to right themselves when they get turned over.

One of the more interesting families are the Elateridae, or click beetles: so named because they press their prosternum and mesosternum against each other which causes pressure. That pressure is eventually released causing a "clicking" sound and springing the insect upward (or away from predators).

https://thumbs.gfycat.com/EllipticalWeeIchthyosaurs-size_restricted.gif

You can see an additional video of a click beetle doing so here.

theforestecologist
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