Beetle Tactics

The unique properties of the Hercules Beetle could help scientists to create 'intelligent materials', research suggests today.

As well as being famous for its remarkable strength - the beetle can carry up to 850 times its own weight - the creature also has a protective outgrowth on its shell which changes from green to black as its surroundings become more humid.

Researchers from the University of Namur in Belgium have studied this shell using the latest imaging techniques.

Their study, published today in the New Journal of Physics, determined the structure responsible for the colour change and how light interacts with it.

They argue the finding could help in the future development of intelligent materials.

Scans by an electronic microscope showed that light interferes with the shell's structure to produce its green colour.

When water penetrates through the open porous layers this interference leads to a black colouration.

Researcher Marie Rassart said: "The sort of structural behaviour displayed by the Hercules Beetle could be an important property for 'intelligent materials'.

"Such materials could be put to work as humidity sensors. This could be useful for example in food processing plants to monitor the moisture level."

The Hercules Beetle lives in the rainforests of Columbia, Venezuela, Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Brazil.

Why the shell changes colour has not yet been determined, but scientists propose it may be because it becomes more humid at night in rainforests and being black is a good cover for protection.

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