Bombardier beetle by David Hill
The complete life cycle of the bombardier beetle lasts about 1 to 2 years, which is similar in length to many other ground beetles.
The adult phase only lasts a few weeks. The beetles emerge from the pupa in the early summer and die very shortly thereafter. They have just enough time to mate and lay eggs for next season.
Bombardier beetle eggs are deposited on a potential food source such as an animal carcass. Bombardier beetles are carnivores and eat other animals, not plants.
The eggs hatch within a couple of weeks and become larva. The bombardier beetle larva molts several times over the course of months until it is developed enough to become an adult.
When the summer’s seasonal changes begin and the temperature warms, the adult bombardier beetle sheds its skin and begins looking for a mate.
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