The Diabolical Ironclad Beetle Can’t be Crushed by a Car
aka The Nosoderma diabolicum
This beetle is nearly indestructible. The Nosoderma diabolicum, also known as the diabolical ironclad beetle is known for its durability. These things can survive being run over by a car.
It’s intricate exoskeleton is the reason this beetle can withstand pressure up to 39,000 times its body weight. That’s the equivalent of a human surviving the weight of 600 Elephants stacked on top of each other. It’s exoskeleton is made up of densely layered, interlocking elytra (a hardened forewing).
Researchers are studying the beetle (which is found in arid areas of the western coast of The United States) to see if they can adapt the exoskeleton’s jigsaw design for other structures and materials.
Oh, and if you’re wondering how to actually kill one of these things…researchers had to use a drill.
