Diabolical Ironclad Beetle: Unlocking the secrets of its super tough design

The diabolical ironclad beetle is so tough, it can survive getting run over by a car applying 100 newtons of force. Engineers from Purdue University and UCIrvine teamed up to unlock the beetle s secrets. Their research, featured in a paper published in Nature, revealed that the beetles supertoughness lies in its two armorlike elytron that meet at a line, called a suture, running the length of the abdomen. Full story: Featured Purdue Engineer: Pablo Zavattieri, Jerry M. and Lynda T. Engelhardt