All printables
Bombardier beetle — printable fact sheet
Free to print or save as PDF. Great for classrooms, homeschooling, and young explorers.
Creature Atlas
Animal Fact Sheet
Name: ____________________
Date: ____________________
Bombardier beetle
Brachinus crepitans
The bombardier beetle carries a chemical weapon and detonates it inside its own body. It stores two reagents — hydroquinones and hydrogen peroxide — separately and harmlessly in a reservoir, and when threatened it forces them into a reinforced reaction chamber where enzymes are …
Did you know?
- The chemical spray released by Bombardier beetles can reach temperatures of nearly 100°C (212°F), which is the boiling point of water.
- It mixes two chemicals inside a reinforced chamber, detonating them at around 100 degrees Celsius and spraying the boiling result at attackers. It fires in hundreds of pulses a second — the gaps between explosions are what keep the beetle from cooking itself. It aims with a swivelling nozzle at the tip of its abdomen. Beetles have been swallowed by toads, fired inside the stomach, and been vomited back out alive.
What I learned
Draw the bombardier beetle
© Creature Atlas · www.creatureatlas.com · Free for classroom & personal use
Want the whole set?
Get printable fact-sheet packs, coloring pages, and classroom worksheet bundles for dozens of animals — ready to download and print.
Browse printable packsGet a free printable each week
Join the newsletter for a new Creature of the Week + printables.