eli5: i saw a cricket drowning and i keep wondering: why do they always curl up when they drown?
In: Biology
Insects in general curl up their limbs when they die due to the way they move. Insect limbs are hydraulic where fluid is pumped into them in order to move them, and contract aided by stretchy ligaments. When the insect dies and is unable to pump the required fluid the ligaments pull the limbs in close to the body. This is also why spiders die with their legs curled in, and what tends to cause insects to flip onto their back when dying.
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