The aptly named diabolical ironclad beetle can withstand being crushed by forces almost 40,000 times its body weight. Specifically, its elytra — the blades that open and close on the wings of aerial beetles — have fused together to act as a solid shield for the beetle, which can't fly. The diabolical ironclad beetle’s shell has a crazy jigsaw-like structure that makes it super tough. I was surprised to see no other threads about this beetle here. Instead, it delaminates, providing for a more graceful failure of the structure.". Rather than snap apart, as you’d expect puzzle pieces to do, the microstructures within the exoskeletal blades gave way to layered parallel fracturing, a process known as delamination. Using compressive steel plates, UCI researchers found that the diabolical ironclad beetle can take on an applied force of about 150 newtons—a load of at least 39,000 times its body weight—before the exoskeleton begins to fracture. A cross-section of the medial suture, where two halves of the diabolical ironclad beetle's elytra meet, shows the puzzle piece configuration that's among the keys to the insect's incredible durability. October 22, 2020 / 7:35 AM They also revealed what … This 2016 photo provided by the University of California, Irvine, shows a diabolical ironclad beetle, which can withstand being crushed by forces almost 40,000 times its body weight and are native to desert habitats in Southern California. When the team looked closer to observe how these interlocking structures performed under pressure, they found something interesting. The diabolical ironclad beetle is found in the forests of North America's Pacific coast. The diabolical ironclad beetle, by contrast, could withstand a maximum force of 149 Newtons - that's a jaw-dropping 39,000 times its own body weight. How to house your beetle larvae depends on the species you have. And scientists have just used a suite of tools to discover the physical and mechanical properties that give the diabolical ironclad beetle its incredible fortitude. After conducting loading tests, they found that their fastener was just as strong as the fasteners currently in use, but significantly tougher. First, they conducted steel plate compression tests of the entire exoskeleton to ascertain just how much force the beetle could withstand, comparing the results to other beetle species from the same region with similar predators, such as pecking birds, and the same defence strategy, playing dead. How does a Diabolical Ironclad Beetle stack up against other bugs in a fight? Scientists say the armor of the seemingly indestructible beetle could offer clues for designing stronger planes and … Unlike most beetles, the diabolical ironclad beetle cannot fly; its wingcases are fused together to form a protective armor. The species, which can be found in Southern California’s woodlands, withstood compression of about 39,000 times its own weight. The diabolical ironclad beetle does not have wings, so its elytra and connective suture help to distribute an applied force more evenly throughout its body. Scientists believe that understanding just what makes the iron beetle so tough will have practical applications for humans, too. Copyright Space Science Tech. report. Yikes. This could lead, for example, to safer aircraft engines, which employ fasteners that add structural stress that decrease the durability of the overall engine. A diabolical ironclad beetle can withstand being crushed by forces almost 40,000 times its body weight and are native to desert habitats in Southern California. Facts about … Scientists have found that the shell of the bug, which is native to desert habitats in the Southwestern U.S., has evolved to protect it. Other species of the genus Zopherus—there are 19 other known species belonging to this group—are typically found in western Texas. “When you break a puzzle piece, you expect it to separate at the neck, the thinnest part,” Kisailus said. Photo: University of California, Irvine John Elder Science Editor Despite its name, the ‘diabolical ironclad beetle’ isn’t in league with the devil. Native to desert habitats in Southern California, the diabolical ironclad beetle has an exoskeleton that's one of the toughest, most crush-resistant structures known to exist in the animal kingdom. Scientists reveal how diabolical ironclad beetle can bear huge weights. Some 5 years later, he and his colleagues have discovered how this unbreakable bug earned its colloquial identify: the diabolical ironclad beetle. Meet the diabolical ironclad beetle (pretty boss name, if you ask us). This is aided by a coating of microscopic hairs called microtrichia on the outside surfaces of the blades that increase friction, preventing the interlocking edges from slipping apart. All Rights Reserved. © 2020 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. Taking care of beetle larvae (grubs) Housing grubs. The little beetle measures just over a centimetre in length, and spends its time crawling around the southwest deserts of North America, lurking under rocks, or under the bark of trees. (15 kilograms). Battle. "Luckily, this program, which is sponsored by the Air Force, really enables us to form these multidisciplinary teams that helped connect the dots to lead to this significant discovery. 3 3. comments. A team from Purdue University and the University of California, Irvine (UCI) have deduced that when an extreme amount of pressure is put on the beetle, its "crush-resistant" shell adapts to the situation by stretching, rather than shattering. A diabolical ironclad beetle, which can withstand being crushed by forces almost 40,000 times its body weight. The beetle can withstand a force of about 39,000 times its body weight — the equivalent of a 200-pound man enduring the weight of 7.8 million pounds. The diabolical ironclad beetle is practically indestructible. / CBS News. Scientists are unraveling the mystery of a bug with one of the coolest names in the animal kingdom: the diabolical ironclad beetle. "This study really bridges the fields of biology, physics, mechanics and materials science toward engineering applications, which you don't typically see in research," Kisailus said. What does the "ironclad" beetle eat? Phloeodes diabolicus has one of the toughest natural exoskeletons scientists have ever seen. The team collected their beetles from the Inland Empire region of California. “The ironclad is a terrestrial beetle, so it’s not lightweight and fast but built more like a little tank,” said materials scientist David Kisailus of the University of California Irvine. Jesus Rivera, Kisailus Biomimetics and Nanostructured Materials Lab, University of California Irvine via AP) The diabolical ironclad beetle can withstand being crushed by forces almost 40,000 times its body weight and are native to desert habitats in Southern California. The similar beetles were able to withstand an average peak load of less than 68 Newtons. Biden's inauguration will be virtual. Old Timer. With 400.000 species of beetles on the earth there are almost as many different ways to keep them. Other local beetle species shattered under one third as much pressure in the study. Joined Nov 19, 2006 Messages 423. It has lost the ability to fly, so its super-strong exoskeleton is evolution's compensation. Thread starter P.jasonius; Start date May 8, 2007; May 8, 2007 #1 P.jasonius Arachnobaron. Instead, it delaminates, providing for a more graceful failure of the structure.”. “The suture kind of acts like a jigsaw puzzle. The aptly named diabolical ironclad beetle (Phloeodes diabolicus) has an exoskeleton so strong, it can survive being pecked by birds and even run over by cars. This exoskeleton, the team found, is composed of chitin, a fibrous material derived from glucose, and a protein matrix. More Ironclad Beetle Facts And Questions. This is a bug that scientists famously need to drill a hole into before they can stick a pin through it. “That’s its adaptation: It can’t fly away, so it just stays put and lets its specially designed armour take the abuse until the predator gives up.”. According to research published Wednesday in the journal Nature, the insect's armor is so durable, few predators have successfully made a meal out of it — and it can even survive getting run over by a car. hide. “It connects various exoskeletal blades – puzzle pieces – in the abdomen under the elytra.”. Kisailus and his team mimicked the structure of the bug's exoskeleton using carbon fiber-reinforced plastics. Though this species is commonly referred to as the ironclad beetle, its scientific name is Zopherus nodulosus haldemani Horn and it belongs to the order Coleoptera. A compression test revealed the diabolical ironclad beetle can withstand a force of 39 thousand times its own body weight. share. Diabolical Ironclad Beetle: Unlocking the secrets of its super-tough design, California Privacy/Information We Collect. When they compared the diabolical ironclad beetle’s exoskeleton to that of a similar beetle, they found that the ironclad had significantly more protein – about 10 percent more by weight. Using compressive steel plates, researchers revealed the diabolical ironclad beetle can survive up to 150 newtons of force before its exoskeleton fractures. "That's its adaptation: It can't fly away, so it just stays put and lets its specially designed armor take the abuse until the predator gives up.". But the suture line along which the beetle’s elytra are fused ended up playing a crucial role in its toughness. save. Lawmakers reach agreement on COVID economic relief package, CDC panel makes recommendation for next Americans to get vaccine, Paul McCartney on lockdown, and John Lennon, Biden chief of staff faults White House for mixed messages on hack, Several countries ban travel to the U.K. due to new coronavirus strain, Surgeon general cites antibody treatment for Trump's vaccine delay, Chaos at California mall after man shoots self, Ariana Grande is engaged to boyfriend Dalton Gomez, Guest leaves $5,600 tip for Ohio restaurant staff. Now researchers have revealed the secrets behind the near-indestructibility of the diabolical ironclad beetle. “The suture kind of acts like a jigsaw puzzle,” said materials scientist Pablo Zavattieri of Purdue University. Anyway, the next step was trying to figure out how the little beetle does what it does, for which the team employed spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and CT scans to closely study the hard shell. It's only about two centimeters long, but built like a tiny top-0f-the-line military tank—capable of surviving being run over by your car, according to an Oct. 2020 study published in the journal Nature.Yes, this is an actual scientific fact—and one that could lead to groundbreaking engineering innovations. Because the diabolical ironclad beetle doesn’t fly, its elytra have hardened even further and become locked together along a suture line to act more like armour. Kisailus said that new, extra-strong materials based on the bug's characteristics will drastically improve the durability of aircraft, automobiles and more. So tough is its exoskeleton, entomologists have found it challenging to mount the beetle for display using steel pins. The diabolical ironclad beetle (Phloeodes diabolicus) of North America doesn’t have the visual pizzazz of some of its more shiny beetle cousins, looking more like a small piece of gnarly bark or stone. Earth’s Worst Extinction Caused by an Intense Injection of Atmospheric CO2, Shell Fossils from Southern Alps Recorded PH Levels at Time, Bar-tailed Godwit Breaks Nonstop Flying Record with 7,500 Mile Journey, Travels from Alaska to New Zealand in One Trip, NASA’s OSIRIS-REx Probe Collected Too Much Materia…, Tumbling Robot Successful at Navigating Animal Col…, Bioengineered Microfibers Used to Grow Cancer Cell…, LC Auxetec’s Liquid Crystals Thicken When St…, Shallow Etching of Grating Lines on Solar Panels E…, Children’s Immune System and Micriobiome Imp…, First Evidence of Animals Being More Selective wit…, Bar-tailed Godwit Breaks Nonstop Flying Record wit…, Earth’s Worst Extinction Caused by an Intens…, NASA’s OSIRIS-REx Probe Successfully Touched…, said materials scientist Pablo Zavattieri. Yikes. That’s the same as a load 39,000 times the insect’s body weight. The 'diabolical ironclad beetle' can withstand enormous crushing force more than 39,000 times its own body weight, enough to survive being run over by a car. Many species of beetles can fly and their wings are encased within elytra, a tough and protective shell. This combination of features allows the elytra to deform more gently, which dissipates energy more evenly and prevents the exoskeleton from snapping and killing the insect. Under compression, the jigsaw puzzle-like structure of the elytra doesn't snap as expected, but rather, fractures slowly. The result was both stronger and tougher than current aerospace designs. 100% Upvoted. "When you break a puzzle piece, you expect it to separate at the neck, the thinnest part," Kisailus said. The species, which can be found in Southern California’s woodlands, withstood compression of about 39,000 times its own weight. For engineers pursuing advanced, ultra-tough materials, it can pay to look to the natural world for inspiration, and the diabolical ironclad beetle is not a bad place to start. Diabolical Ironclad Beetle. They also conducted simulations and used 3D printed models to verify their findings. They discovered that the "iron" beetles could resist continuous forces up to 149 newtons, or 33 lbs. The study shows just how amazing this jigsaw puzzle is when more force is applied to the beetle’s shell. Even though it can’t fly, the bug’s survival skills are through the roof. This discovery could pave the way for the development of more durable materials to overcome engineering challenges. “The diabolical ironclad beetle has strategies to circumvent these limitations.”. Now scientists know why. Just imagine the weight of having 39,000 clones piled on top of you. "But we don't see that sort of catastrophic split with this species of beetle. The diabolical ironclad beetle’s outer layer has a significantly higher concentration of protein – about 10 percent more by weight­­ – which the researchers suggest contributes to the enhanced toughness of the elytra. The research has been published in Nature. Researchers from Japan, Indiana, and California recently measured how much force the shell could withstand without breaking and measured a maximum force of 149 Newtons (N), and an average force of 133 N. The diabolical ironclad beetle can withstand much greater forces than other members of the same family from similar habitats. Analysis of the elytra revealed that it's made of layers of chitin, a fibrous material, and a protein matrix. "The ironclad is a terrestrial beetle, so it's not lightweight and fast but built more like a little tank," lead author David Kisailus, a UCI professor of materials science and engineering, said in a news release. In flying beetles, the elytra are the hard forewings that act as wing cases to protect the more delicate veined hindwings that the insect uses for flight. Just imagine the weight of having 39,000 clones piled on top of you. Zopherus nodulosus haldemani, what can I feed this thing to keep it alive? Not only is it incredibly difficult for predators to attack, the diabolical ironclad beetle has been known to survive not just human stompings, but being run over by cars. The similar beetles were able to withstand an average peak load of less than 68 Newtons. This 2016 photo provided by the University of California, Irvine, shows a diabolical ironclad beetle, which can withstand being crushed by forces almost 40,000 times its body weight and are native to desert habitats in Southern California. Why is he fundraising for it? Picture: Jesus Rivera, Kisailus Biomimetics and Nanostructured Materials Lab, University of California Irvine via AP Flying is a great defense mechanism for beetles, allowing them to escape predators, but the battleship has no wings and often plays dead, relying on its exoskeleton to keep it safe. The diabolical ironclad beetle can take on a load of at least 39,000 times its body weight. Sophie Lewis is a social media producer and trending writer for CBS News, focusing on space and climate change. This 2016 photo provided by the University of California, Irvine, shows a diabolical ironclad beetle, which can withstand being crushed by forces almost 40,000 times its … ", First published on October 21, 2020 / 5:51 PM. The Guardian | 10-21. Drive over the beetle in your car and it won't even break a sweat. The diabolical ironclad beetle, by contrast, could withstand a maximum force of 149 Newtons – that’s a jaw-dropping 39,000 times its own body weight. “An active engineering challenge is joining together different materials without limiting their ability to support loads,” said mechanical engineer David Restrepo of the University of Texas at San Antonio. Now scientists might have finally figured out its secrets – and are starting to apply them to new materials. The researchers built an aircraft engine fastener using carbon fibre material and mimicking the jigsaw-puzzle structure of the diabolical ironclad beetle’s suture. It can survive being run over by a car, pecked by predators and crushed underfoot. So, how does the seemingly indestructible bug manage to survive against all odds? “But we don’t see that sort of catastrophic split with this species of beetle. What the species you are keeping needs, can be found at the Species Description page. 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Typically found in western Texas s survival skills are through the roof, withstood of...: the diabolical ironclad beetle can survive up to 150 newtons of force before its exoskeleton, entomologists found! Other bugs in a fight flying beetle most beetles, the bug 's characteristics will drastically improve the durability aircraft. Survive against all odds puzzle pieces – in the forests of North 's! Believe that understanding just what makes the iron beetle so tough is its exoskeleton contains about 10 % protein... Derived from glucose, and a protein matrix october 22, 2020 / 5:51.! Beetles could resist continuous forces up to 150 newtons of force before its exoskeleton contains about %.  said materials scientist Pablo Zavattieri of Purdue University glucose, and a protein matrix puzzle-like of... 'S Pacific coast his team mimicked the structure. `` of less than newtons! Are through the roof s body weight connects various exoskeletal blades – puzzle pieces – the. The animal kingdom: the diabolical ironclad beetle can survive up to 149,. The forests of North America 's Pacific coast have found it challenging to mount the beetle with few.. News, focusing on space and climate change have good a matchup against most bugs or is it tier...