How This Uncrushable Beetle Can Survive Being Run Over by a Car - Gizmodo Australia

The diabolical ironclad beetle, in addition to having one of the coolest names in the animal kingdom, boasts one of the toughest natural exoskeletons.

New research published today in Nature suggests the diabolical ironclad beetle (Phloeodes diabolicus) is an adherent of these sage words.

The scientists who made this discovery — a team from Purdue University and the University of California-Irvine — say the unique strategy employed by the diabolical ironclad beetle could inspire the creation of innovative materials, namely components capable of dissipating energy to prevent catastrophic breakage.

southwest, the diabolical ironclad beetle likes to hide under rocks and squeeze behind tree bark.

So strong is this exoskeleton that these beetles can survive getting run over by a car.

To better understand these beetles and their durable exoskeletons, the researchers prodded the limits of this armour, studied it with microscopes and CT scanners, and even 3D-printed their own versions to test their theories.

Experiments showed that diabolical ironclad beetles can withstand an applied force of 150 newtons, which is 39,000 times its body weight.

A tire passing overhead would inflict 100 newtons of force, which explains how these beetles can survive run-ins with cars.

The researchers say other beetle species can’t handle even half of this load.

Physical analysis of the exoskeleton with microscopes and CT scanners showed that the key to this durability lies in this creature’s elytra.

In flying beetles, elytra serve as the protective wing-cases for their hindwings (in ladybugs, elytra are the red and black polka-dotted shells that open up when it’s time for them to fly).

For the terrestrial diabolical ironclad beetle, however, its two elytra evolved a different purpose, protecting its internal organs instead of its wings.

And in so doing, it has become considerably tougher than the elytra found in other beetles.

At the same time, the medial suture — the line that divides the two elytra along the length of the beetle’s abdomen — features connective blades that are best described as the pieces of an interlocking jigsaw puzzle.

“This work shows that we may be able to shift from using strong, brittle materials to ones that can be both strong and tough by dissipating energy as they break,” said Pablo Zavattieri, professor of civil engineering at Purdue, in a university statement.

“That’s what nature has enabled the diabolical ironclad beetle to do.”.