Behold the Diabolical Ironclad Beetle
Researchers from Purdue University and the University of California, Irvine, studied the aptly named diabolical ironclad beetle — Phloeodes diabolicus — to understand the secret behind its strength…
Using steel plates, the team of researchers discovered that the creature can take an applied force of 150 newtons — some 39,000 times its body weight — before its exoskeleton starts to fracture. A car tire would apply force of around 100 newtons if driving over the insect on a dirt surface, scientists said.
