Beetle with 'an unusual armor' can survive after being run over by a car, here's how

A new study by scientists published in the journal called Nature reveals that a diabolical ironclad beetle is so strong that it can survive almost everything including a bird’s beak, an animal attack and also being run over by a car. The strength comes from ‘an unusual armor’ that is layered together like a jigsaw. According to the scientists, the design can further help in building more durable structures and vehicles.

'Can't crush this'

As a part of the study, a group of scientists ran a car over the insect. One of the scientists from the group, Purdue University civil engineer Pablo Zavattieri said, “This beetle is super tough”. Brown University evolutionary biologist Colin Donihue said that the research is an attempt to borrow from the natural world and contribute in solving human problems. Donihue gave the example of velcro which came from hook-like structure of plant burrs and he said, “These are adaptations that have evolved over millennia”. 

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(In this 2016 photo provided by the University of California, Irvine, 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. Scientists say the armor of the seemingly indestructible beetle could offer clues for designing stronger planes and buildings. Image Credits: AP)

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The species can be found in Southern California’s woodlands and to measure the strength of the beetle, researchers tested the amount of squishing it could take. It was then concluded that the species could withstand ‘compression of about 39,000 times its own weight’. The beetle’s exoskeleton was also examined using electron microscopes and CT scans. It was concluded that the species’ elytra had strengthened with time. Zavattieri explained, “When you pull them apart it doesn’t break catastrophically. It just deforms a little bit. That’s crucial for the beetle”. He added that in the structure of the shell, nature offers an “interesting and elegant” alternative.

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(Image Credits: AP)