Though the diabolical ironclad beetle doesn't use its elyton for flight, the elytra and connective suture instead help to distribute applied force more evenly throughout the insect's body ...

"The ironclad is a terrestrial beetle, so it's not lightweight and fast but built more like a little tank," said David Kisailus, a professor of materials science and engineering at the University ...

This article was originally published with the title “The Destruction of the Ironclad Richelieu” in SA Supplements Vol. 11 No. 270supp (March 1881), p. 4297 doi:10.1038 ...

The diabolical ironclad beetle is like a tiny tank on six legs. This insect’s rugged exoskeleton is so tough that the beetle can survive getting run over by cars, and many would-be predators don ...

The beetle can withstand a force of about 39,000 times its body weight — the equivalent of a 200-pound man enduring the weight of 7.8 million pounds.

There aren’t any diabolical ironclad-mimicking materials on the market just yet. But the beetles still make an educational splash at local entomology fairs, where Dr. Rivera often does outreach.

The diabolical ironclad beetle, a desert bug native to California, can withstand nearly 40,000 times its body weight. That means it can be run over by a car — and live to tell the tale.