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BOMBARDIER BEETLE FACTS |
Identification
The Bombardier Beetle is a black and brown ground beetle belonging to the Carabidae family. The wing covers are mostly black, each having a large brown patch in the middle. When threatened, it can create an explosion from its rear end. It has a special gland which mixes two chemicals together causing an explosive chemical reaction which expels a spray of boiling steam and chemicals with aloud pop. Temperatures reach over 100C in the gland, and it can produce 20 explosions in a minute.
Size
length 12mm - 18mm
Habitat
Undisturbed riverbanks and river floodplains
Food
Bombardier Beetles feed on other insects
Range
eastern Australia
Classification
| Class: | Insecta | | Order: | Coleoptera | | Family: | Carabidae | | Genus: | Pheropsophus | | Species: | verticalis | | Common Name: | Bombardier Beetle |
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