Multiscale designs of the chitinous nanocomposite of beetle horn towards an enhanced biomechanical functionality

Operating mainly as a type of weapon, the beetle horn develops an impressive mechanical efficiency based on chitinous materials to maximize the injury to opponent and simultaneously minimize the damage to itself and underlying brain under stringent loading conditions. Here the cephalic horn of the beetle Allomyrina dichotoma is probed using multiscale characterization combined with finite element simulations to explore the origins of its...