will often resort to using a drill to make a hole in the beetle’s carapace for the pin. Credit: Jesus Rivera / UCI My question is why did this beetle evolve with such a hard shell? Southern California’s diabolical ironclad beetle has an exoskeleton so tough, it can even survive being run over by a car. But what makes this little beetle so tough? They found that the diabolical ironclad beetle can withstand a force of about 39,000 times its body weight. 582 Viewed. P. diabolicus is the only one I’ve seen in San Diego County, though. But the beetles still make an educational splash at local entomology fairs, where Dr. Rivera often does outreach. Phloeodes diabolicus (LeConte 1851) Size . Now scientists have investigated the secrets of how the beetle can withstand forces up to 39,000 times its body weight. I haven’t read the original paper, but here’s a link to an article about it: A new study reveals some of the secrets the beetle stores in its tough exoskeleton, secrets that could aid in development of biomimetic materials and structures to join dissimilar materials in more robust ways. Ironclad diabolical beetles have a puzzling ability to withstand the pressure of being run over by a car without getting squished. Cars can’t crush the diabolical ironclad beetle, 2020’s latest horror. According to Hisserdude on BeetleForum.net, this is incorrect. Your email address will not be published. Ironclad beetles (Phloeodes diabolicus) measure about 0.6 to 1 inch (15 to 25 millimeters) in length, and are found in woodland habitats in western North America, where they live under tree bark. Thank you. photo of the blister beetle photo showing the elytra is as beautiful as it is elucidating -really loving every post! Scientists say the armor of the seemingly indestructible beetle could offer clues for designing stronger planes and buildings. An insect collector, wanting to mount a specimen. In each of the cuticles, polysaccharide α-chitin combine with proteins to form fibers within each layer. (Jesus Rivera / UC Irvine) It’s a beetle that can withstand bird pecks, animal stomps and even being rolled over by a Toyota Camry. I’ve updated this post accordingly. Nosoderma diabolicum (formerly Phloeodes diabolicus), common name: diabolical ironclad beetle, is a beetle of the Family Zopheridae. Barclay added that while most beetles lived for only a matter of weeks, the diabolical ironclad could live for about seven or eight years. “The diabolical ironclad beetle has strategies to circumvent these limitations,” Restrepo said. Beetles are insects in the order Coleoptera.Coleoptera comes from the Greek words koleos, which means sheath, and pteron, which means wing. Being energy absorbent the skeleton is able to deflect, twist and arrest crack propagation between each layer. To me, it looks exactly like it’s encased in cast iron. A beetle that lives under tree bark can withstand crushing forces 39,000 times its body weight. Here's how", "Even a car can't kill this beetle. The diabolical ironclad beetle is found in the forests of North America's Pacific coast. The diabolical ironclad beetle can’t fly. UCI researchers led a project to study the components and architectures responsible for making the creature so indestructible. Ironclad diabolical beetles have a puzzling ability to withstand the pressure of being run over by a car without getting squished. A cross section of the diabolical ironclad beetle's medial suture, showing the puzzle piece configuration that is a key to its durability. Species diabolicus (Diabolical Ironclad Beetle) Synonyms and other taxonomic changes . Reportly, you can step on it and it will just get up and walk away. The diabolical ironclad beetle, a Southern California native, can withstand being crushed by forces almost 40,000 times its body weight.Scientists say its armor could offer clues for designing stronger planes and buildings. As a result, beetles tend to fly less often and they’re generally slower to resort to flight to escape threats. Also, being able to tuck the delicate wings inside the elytra allows the beetle to crawl into narrow spaces or burrow into things without having to worry about damaging its wings. Live Science tells about its lifestyle. A 200-pound man would have to endure the crushing weight of … Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Dorsal color can vary from pale brown to dark gray. The other beetle is a species of Eleodes — a desert stink beetle. The ironclad is, of course, the roughly textured one. Required fields are marked *. The diabolical ironclad beetle is tough, and not only by name. With one of the more awe-inspiring names in the animal kingdom, the diabolical ironclad beetle is one formidable insect. Purdue researchers simulated this mechanism using 3D-printed versions of the blades. Researchers said its elytra--blades that open and close on the wings of aerial beetles--fused together and act as a solid shield. Common Name: “Ironclad” beetle Scientific Name: Zopherus nodulosus haldemani Horn Order: Coleoptera Description: The striking adult beetle is 5/8 to 1 3/16 inch long and the body is adorned by a black and creamy white blotchy color pattern. [The researchers] found that the diabolical ironclad beetle can withstand a force of about 39,000 times its body weight. The compression is no longer pointed on one spot but rather spread across the shell evenly distributing the force over the whole shell. Using a compositional analysis it was found that the microstructure of exoskeleton is protein rich and contains no inorganic structure (common in crustacean exoskeleton), while also containing a thicker endocuticle than other insects. There have even been reports of them being run over by cars without incurring any damage. The first is the connection between the two halves of the shell, the interconnections are zipper like providing additional strength and are stiff and resist bending pressure. Millions of years ago, most beetles flew, Zavattieri explained. Other species of the genus Zopherus, which contains 19 species, are known from western Texas. An ironclad beetle is any member of the beetle subfamily Zopherinae, so there are lots of different kinds. In the original version of this post, I gave Nosoderma diabolicum as the scientific name for this beetle and Phloeodes diabolicus as a former name. The protective front pair are called the elytra. A CT scan of the diabolical ironclad beetle shows how its organs are spaced beneath a super-tough exoskeleton. [6], "The diabolical ironclad beetle can survive getting run over by a car. In beetles, the front pair have evolved to form thickened, protective shields for the membraneous hind wings. It has lost the ability to fly, so its super-strong exoskeleton is evolution's compensation. The shell provides many issues for entomologists trying to display their specimen. 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. Supposedly, they are found in woodlands under the loose bark of oak trees or cottonwoods. The diabolical ironclad beetle can withstand crushing by forces up to 39,000-times its body weight. The following photo shows a blister beetle with its elytra open, exposing the thin hind wings. I haven’t been able to dig up much information about the beetle. Some varieties, such as the desert ironclad beetle (Absolus verrucosus) and the frighteningly-named diabolical ironclad beetle (Phloeodes diabolicus) can be found in west and southwestern states, as well as Mexico. Ironclad beetles (Phloeodes diabolicus) measure about 0.6 to 1 inch (15 to 25 millimeters) in length, and are found in woodland habitats in […] Ghislaine Maxwell transcripts revealed in Jeffrey Epstein sex abuse case. Its exoskeleton (integument) is extremely hard. Diabolical ironclad beetle (Nosoderma diabolicum) in the front and a desert stink beetle (genus Eleodes) in back. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Only the hind wings are actually used for flight. 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. 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. The back of the beetle are not interlocked in the same way allowing the bottom halves to slide past each other, providing flexibility to absorb squishing compression. Ironclad beetles (Phloeodes diabolicus) measure about 0.6 to 1 inch (15 to 25 millimeters) in length, and are found in woodland habitats in western North America, where they live under tree bark. Another unique fact about this beetle is that they do not have hind wings and their front wings, or elytra, are fused together. Aiding to the structure would be the loss of flight allowing for the hardened elytra to be locked in place with the hindwings. New research reveals that getting run over by a car is not even a near-death experience for this bug. I’ve also deleted a bit about the number of species in Nosoderma and replaced it with a blurb about the beetle subfamily that the ironclads make up. [5], There are two main areas that allow the skeleton to endure such forces as much as 39,000 times its own body weight, which would correspond to 40 M1 Abrams battle tanks for a human being. These fibers are twisted and stacked upon each other creating a "helicoid" arrangement, creating a laminated structures. A new study reveals some of the secrets the beetle stores in its tough exoskeleton, secrets that could aid in development of biomimetic materials and structures to join dissimilar materials in more robust ways. Diabolical Ironclad Beetle (Phloeodes diabolicus) PSA, https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/oct/21/scientists-reveal-diabolical-ironclad-beetle-bear-huge-weights.