Article: Thor Jensen

Beetles are some of the most fascinating insects, with some fairly incredible self-defense mechanisms Bombardier beetles are a subclass of more than 500 species who share the ability to eject a burning hot, acrid chemical from their posterior when they’re threatened. Bombardier Beetle, the detonating ground beetle works like this: the beetle stores a pair of compounds, hydrogen peroxide and hydroquinones, in two independent reservoirs in its abdomen. When it comes time to cut loose, the beetle contracts muscles that vent the two reservoirs into a durable mixing chamber that produces enzymes to break down the hydrogen peroxide in an exothermic reaction that raises the temperature of the liquid to 100 degrees Celsius. The pressure caused by the reaction pushes the liquid out of an outlet valve with a loud popping sound, and the resultant squirt is potent enough to kill most insects and burn human flesh.