The diabolical ironclad beetle can survive getting run over by a car. Scientists now know how.
A study published Wednesday in the journal Nature has pinpointed the factor that makes it so durable: Its exoskeleton, and in particular, its elytra, or the forewings that cover the beetle's wings.
"The ironclad is a terrestrial beetle, so it's not lightweight and fast but built more like a little tank," David Kisailus, the principal investigator and a materials science and engineering professor at the University of California, Irvine, said in a statement.
"It can't fly away, so it just stays put and lets its specially designed armor take the abuse until the predator gives up."
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In beetles with aerial capabilities, the elytra protects their wings from bacteria and other damage that would otherwise prevent them from taking flight.
But in the ironclad beetle, researchers say the elytra has evolved to become "a solid, protective shield."
A team of researchers, headed by Jesus Rivera, a graduate student at UCI working under Kisailus, performed a series of tests to determine what factors contribute to the beetle's ability to survive getting crushed.
Ultimately, the composition of the beetle's elytra is key to its durability. Its elytra has more protein than a beetle with flying capabilities, which may make it stronger.
Further, the core parts of the elytra, researchers said, interlock like a jigsaw puzzle. But when pressure is applied to the elytra, it doesn't bend and break apart at the interlocking point.
Rather, the individual layers of the elytra blades delaminate, or break apart layer by layer. That allows "for a more graceful failure of the structure," said Kisailus.
The research, funded by the Air Force, may very well prove to be beneficial for the development of ultra-durable aircrafts, he added.
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