LONDON: The diabolical ironclad beetle (Phloeodes diabolicus), an insect found mainly in the US and Mexico, is known as a living being with the strongest body armour in the world. The insect, which has a super-tough body armour, can survive even if it is stamped on or run over by a car.

The beetle, which lives under the bark of trees or beneath rocks. The beetle has one of the toughest exoskeletons of any known insect.

This has led to scientists investigating the secrets behind how the beetle can withstand forces up to 39,000 times its body weight.

The researchers used microscopy, spectroscopy and mechanical testing, to identify a series of interlocked jigsaw-shaped joints within the exoskeleton, which allow the beetle to withstand forces of up to 149 Newtons (approximately 39,000 times the creature's body weight).