Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I write about biodiversity and the hidden quirks of the natural world. The beetle that ‘shouldn’t exist’ turns out to be a case ...

Hundreds of millions of years of evolution have produced animals with remarkable defence systems that it’s hard to believe were the product of random mutations. Exploding ants, projectile-vomiting ...

The bombardier beetle is famous for having an unusual defence mechanism, which can be referred to as squirting acid from the back end. This defence mechanism is possible because of the quick reaction ...