The Strongest Creature in the World

March 11, 2008

Here's a question guaranteed to stump nearly everyone- What's the strongest creature in the world? The answer is the Hercules Beetle, which can carry up to 850 times its own body weight. It lives in the rainforests of Columbia, Venezuela, Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Brazil.

Another claim to fame for this beefy beetle is that it performs a color-changing trick that's stumped scientists for decades, until this week. Researchers at the University of Namur in Belgium investigated why the Hercules Beetle's shell changes from green to black in color as the surrounding atmosphere becomes more humid.

The weather mood ring effect happens, they determined, due to water penetrating the porous layers of the insect's protective exoskeleton outgrowth, aka its shell. Similar to how a diamond would shine differently if you filed down its edges, the water changes the way light hits the shell and viewers then perceive black instead of bright green.

Now the question is why would the beetle want to change color in the first place? That's still a mystery. Some guess it's for protection. Others have suggested the black color aids in warmth absorption at night. Future studies will have to figure that one out. In the meantime, here's Hercules flashing its green mode. The little Flamboyant Flower Beetle in the background shows off another, even more vibrant, shade of forest green.