Based on their ability to discharge 鈥渃hemical bombs鈥� when threatened, bombardier beetles are aptly named.聽 Beetles are different from other insects in that while they can fly, they cannot do so instantly.聽Their wings are stored under wing covers and have to be released before they can take to the air.聽Sort of like Clark Kent having to shed his everyday clothes before becoming Superman.聽Since beetles cannot instantly fly away when attacked, they have evolved emergency defenses to use while they plot their getaway.聽聽
The African bombardier beetle,聽Stenaptinus insignis, has been extensively studied to understand its remarkable defense system.聽When attacked by predators, mostly ants, the beetle unleashes bursts of its hot chemical spray accompanied by audible detonations.聽The spray originates from a turret-like appendage under its abdomen which the beetle maneuvers to achieve remarkable accuracy.聽But it is the chemistry of the spray that is truly amazing.聽The irritant chemical is formed just prior to launch by mixing the contents of two separate glands.聽 One contains hydrogen peroxide and hydroquinone, while the other harbors a mixture of enzymes known as catalases and peroxidases that can react with hydrogen peroxide to form oxygen gas and water.聽When the contents of the two glands are mixed, oxygen forms and in turn reacts with hydroquinone to convert it to benzoquinone.聽This reaction is so highly exothermic that the chemical mixture can reach a temperature of 100 degrees C.聽Pressure due to the buildup of oxygen then causes the hot mixture of water and benzoquinone to be expelled with a 鈥減op,鈥� much to the woe of any attacking ants.聽
Bombardier beetles can launch their "chemical bombs鈥� up to twenty times before running out of ammunition.聽But by that time they will have succeeded in unfurling their wings and are ready to leave their attackers behind wallowing in their hot, toxic wake.聽While bombardier beetles have been able to free themselves of ants, they have not been as successful with creationists who argue that the existence of these arthropods is proof of the theory of creation.聽Why would separate glands have evolved, they ask, when it is clear that there is no evolutionary advantage until their contents are mixed?聽The beetle must therefore have been created as is, ready to fight off predators.聽Evolutionists don鈥檛 buy the argument.聽They say that the beetle is actually an excellent example of survival of the fittest.聽Random mutations over many years resulted in the protective mechanism that increased the chances for survival-the essence of evolution.聽Whatever be the case, nobody can contest the fact that the bombardier beetle is in possession of an impressive chemical weapon.聽So if you encounter one, leave him be.
