Strong beetles and stronger sandwiches

Abstract

Tougher than a Volkswagen Most of us have seen a cockroach. We gasp and jump when we see them scurry across our paths. But good luck trying to kill them—whether stomping on them or hitting them with something heavy—because they can withstand up to 900 times their body weight in crushing force. Sounds impressive, but they are wholly outdone by Phloeodes diabolicus , aptly known as the diabolical ironclad beetle. This 2.5 cm long creature can withstand 39,000 times its own body weight, comparable to the force of being run over by a car on a dirt road. So what’s the secret to their superstrength? A collection of jigsaw-like joints and exoskeleton-adjacent support structures, an exoskeleton composed of three layered cuticles, and helically arranged proteins that together give the bugs multilayered protection, according to new work by David Kisailus at the University of California, Irvine, and colleagues ( Nature 2020,