Watch a Bombardier Beetle Mace a Praying Mantis.

Bombardier beetles are ground beetles (Carabidae) in the tribes Brachinini, Paussini, Ozaenini, or Metriini—more than 500 species altogether—which are most notable for the defense mechanism that gives them their name: when disturbed, they eject a hot noxious chemical spray from the tip of their abdomen with a popping sound.

Watch a Bombardier Beetle Mace a Praying Mantis.

Smithsonian Channel Praying mantises are adept at ambushing their prey with their specialized legs and swift reflexes. But when one goes for a Bombardier beetle, it gets a highly unpleasant chemical surprise.