Why exactly these beetles might have developed this gallop is unclear. It's incredibly inefficient. The gait only utilizes the front and middle legs; the back legs drag behind and "seem to contribute little to propulsion," according to the study describing the phenomenon. It's not any faster than the typical beetle walk, either—the tripod gait seems to actually be faster. But despite the fact that these species of beetles are capable of tripod walking, they seem to prefer to gallop.