False Bombardier Beetle – Galerita bicolor by Lynette Schimming
The bombardier beetle is named after its incredible defense mechanism, which allows it to “bombard” rivals and threats with a cannon fire of noxious, boiling liquid.
The bombardier beetle is a carnivore, and rather than passively munching on leaves like many other ground beetles, it eats other insects for food.
The name describes its ability to kill and injure would-be prey by blasting it with its cannon. It can fire over 20 times, with each stream being ejected in less than 1/15 of a second, before it has drained its resources.
How do you pronounce the name of the bombardier beetle?
Bombardier is pronounced bom-bard-DEER, with the accent being on the last syllable. There are three syllables total in the word bombardier.
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