Media Watch Archives
The diabolical ironclad beetle can survive getting run over by a car. Here’s how
Science News -
The diabolical ironclad beetle, which dwells in desert regions of western North America, has a distinctly hard-to-squish shape. “Unlike a stink beetle, or a Namibian beetle, which is more rounded … it’s low to the ground [and] it’s flat on top,” says David Kisailus, a materials scientist at the University of California, Irvine. In compression experiments, Kisailus and colleagues found that the beetle could withstand around 39,000 times its own body weight. Read More
Zoology: Secrets of the ‘uncrushable’ diabolical ironclad beetle
Nature -
Lacking the ability to fly away from danger, this insect has crush-resistant exoskeletal forewings (called elytra), which means that it is able to withstand crushing and piercing strikes from predators and can survive being run over by vehicles. … David Kisailus, [UCI professor of material science and engineering] and colleagues report the structural features and material composition of the elytra, which allow the beetle to withstand forces of up to 149 newtons (approximately 39,000 times its body weight). Read More
Crush-resistant exoskeleton allows the diabolical ironclad beetle to survive being run over by a CAR
Daily Mail -
[UCI] scientists analysed the beetle's elytron – a hardened set of forewings that protect the more delicate hindwings underneath – to learn more about the miraculous material. … Using advanced microscopy, spectroscopy and mechanical testing, the authors observed a series of interlocked jigsaw-shaped joints at the middle of the elytra. Read More
Scientists discover the secret of this beetle's super armor
Inside Science -
The diabolical ironclad beetle can survive getting run over by a car. Now, scientists have unlocked the secrets of its armor's strength -- research that may one day help improve aircraft, cars and drones. … "We see a lot of potential applications -- not just in aerospace, but also in the automotive industry, and in drones," said study senior author David Kisailus, a materials scientist at the University of California, Irvine. Read More
You can't squish this 'iron' beetle. Now, scientists know why.
Live Science -
Diabolical ironclad beetles are almost unbreakable — you can smack them, stomp on them or run them over with a car, and they'll scamper away uncrushed. Now, [UCI] scientists know why these beetles' outer wing cases, known as elytra, are so tough — they're made up of a series of smoothly interlocking puzzle parts; the geometry and internal structure of this "jigsaw" design increase the strength of the beetle's armor. Read More
Scientists reveal how diabolical ironclad beetle can bear huge weights
The Guardian -
“We were impressed. Especially given that this beetle does not contain any mineral – just organic components,” said Prof David Kisailus, co-author of the study from the University of California, Irvine.Writing in the journal Nature, Kisailus and colleagues report how they examined the structure of the beetle’s exoskeleton to understand what makes it so tough. Read More
How the diabolical ironclad beetle survives getting run over by a car
Boing Boing -
What makes the diabolical ironclad beetle (the insect's actual common name) so indestructible? To find out, researchers at the University of California, Irvine and their colleagues repeatedly drove over them with their cars. Yes, the creepy crawlers survived the tire test and countless other more exacting compression tests in the laboratory. After years of research, materials scientist David Kisailus and grad student Jesus Rivera determined that it’s the combination of the material and structure of the beetle's exoskeleton which is different than other beetles. Read More
How this uncrushable beetle can survive being run over by a car
Gizmodo -
The scientists who made this discovery—a team from Purdue University and the University of California, Irvine—say the unique strategy employed by the diabolical ironclad beetle could inspire the creation of innovative materials, namely components capable of dissipating energy to prevent catastrophic breakage. David Kisailus, a professor of materials science and engineering at Purdue, led the new research. Read More
This super-beetle can survive being run over by a car -- and help with engineering problems
CNN -
Scientists developing new materials are studying an unlikely source of strength: a beetle that can withstand being run over by a car. 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. Read More
Can’t crush this: Beetle armor gives clues to tougher planes
AP -
The beetle study is part of an $8 million project funded by the U.S. Air Force to explore how the biology of creatures such as mantis shrimp and bighorn sheep could help develop impact-resistant materials. “We’re trying to go beyond what nature has done,” said study co-author David Kisailus, a materials scientist and engineer at the University of California, Irvine. Read More