The Brachinus crepitans, or bombardier beetle, measures just 2 cm but wields a powerful chemical defense. When threatened, it mixes hydroquinone and hydrogen peroxide inside its abdomen, triggering an exothermic reaction that reaches 100 °C. It ejects bursts of corrosive benzoquinones at 500 pulses per second, burning and repelling predators. This precise, repeatable mechanism has inspired research into reigniting gas turbines in aircraft under extreme conditions as low as –50 °C. Its internal valve and chamber system is now studied in chemical engineering and advanced biomimicry.
I’m from Buenos Aires, and I say kill 'em all.
I’d like to know more.
I’m doing my part!
I’m from Buenos Aires and didn’t know about the existence of this meme
TIL
Makes it’s own peroxide. That’s sort of hard core.
How the hell did they not evolve wings and reach mach 5
How does it survives to its own attack?
Wish I could come up with a spicy food joke.
You can do it! I believe in you!
Has anyone been hit by one of these guys?
I’m sure someone has. Not me tho
At the very least the person the finger in the stock image belongs to
This beetle is the natural equivalent of passing Taco Bell while listening to Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire”.
“Help him, help him,” Dobbs was sobbing. “Help him, help him.”
“Help who? Help who?” Yossarian called back. “Help who?”
“The bombardier, the bombardier,” Dobbs cried. “He doesn’t answer. Help the bombardier, help the bombardier.”
“I’m the bombardier,” Yossarian cried back at him. “I’m the bombardier. I’m all right. I’m all right.”
“Then help him, help him,” Dobbs wept. “Help him, help him.”
not impressive, i can have explosive diarrhea and blow up the toilet as well
Benzo Quinones is my favorite Tejano artist.
La Benzo Quinta Inn
BOMBADEER? fuckinng western Canadian spotted.
For a good read, look for “For the Love of Insects” by Thomas Eisner who studied the bombardier beetle. The book doesn’t focus on bombardier beetles. But he does go over how he made some discovers on the bombardier beetle.
Eisner was a wonderful scientist with a fascinating perspective.
*Bombarded.