Hardly any common name fits an animal as well as that of the bombardier beetle (Brachinus crepitans). In the truest sense of the word, it can fire shots by ejecting a hot gas mixture at a temperature of over 100 °C over a distance of 25–30 cm. Its chemical weapon acts much like a flamethrower. This beetle is capable of firing up to 70 consecutive shots at a rate of 500 shots per second. What does the bombardier beetle look like, and how does its weapon work?