Beetle-bombardier

When Napoleon’s army crossed the Pyrenees, many soldiers got burns on their skin, which turned to long lasting pigmented spots. This attracted the attention of a military physician, who concluded it was due to a kind of beetles. Later on, after a number of experiments the secret was uncovered: Beetles-bombardiers were put into a cage with some of their potential enemies such as spiders, mice, frogs, birds. What happened was that the beetle used an incredible weapon–a kind of a flame-thrower, which killed the smaller attackers and scattered the bigger ones. These beetles come from different genera such as Brachynus, Goniotropis, Stenaptimus, Artinus,Playmeurus etc. They are spread in different parts of the world with tropical and moderate climate. 

Beetles-bombardiers really deserve the name a “chemical lab”. They have two glands secreting poisoning substances. Each one is parted in two chambers and one common antechamber, the latter of which secrete two enzymes. When the beetle is in danger, great amount of substances secreted in the both chambers get into the antechamber, where runs a rapid chemical reaction. The temperature rises to 100º and the beetle fires the liquid through his anus in up to 30 cm distance with an enviable archery skill. Some species can produce 15-20 consequent shots. The poison is extremely dangerous for the eyes and the mucous membrane.