Beetle bombing always deters praying mantises.

Area of Science:

• Insect behavior
• Chemical ecology
• Predator-prey interactions

Background:

• Animals utilize chemical defenses against predators.
• Bombardier beetles eject hot, toxic chemicals.
• The defensive efficacy of bombardier beetle "bombing" against specific predators remains understudied.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the defensive role of bombardier beetle "bombing" against praying mantises.
• To determine if chemical ejection is crucial for bombardier beetle survival when attacked by mantises.

Main Methods:

• Observing interactions between three praying mantis species and the bombardier beetle *Pheropsophus jessoensis* under laboratory conditions.
• Comparing mantis predation success on normal *P. jessoensis* versus individuals unable to eject defensive chemicals.

Main Results:

• Mantises successfully captured bombardier beetles but released them after being bombed.
• Bombed mantises exhibited grooming behavior on affected body parts.
• Mantises preyed successfully on bombardier beetles that were experimentally prevented from ejecting chemicals.

Conclusions:

• The "bombing" chemical defense is essential for *Pheropsophus jessoensis* to deter praying mantises.
• Bombardier beetle chemical ejection is a highly effective anti-predator mechanism against these mantis species.