except this time , hydrogen peroxide was paired with manganese dioxide . since the two are only separate by a thin sheet of lacquer , any tampering will cause the the bombardier beetle inspired the researchers of eth zurich . this spray can kill ants or scare off frogs . i was n’t embarrassed about my decision , but being a real liberal seemed to mean voting for obama . so i voted quietly in the primary , and i did n’t tell anyone because again she was the unpopular choice . gif researchers at eth zurich university took cues from the deadly beetle and built two chemical filled honeycomb chambers . it keeps the ingredients for its deadly concoction ( hydrogen peroxide and hydroquinone ) in two separate chambers in its abdomin . he and his team therefore looked to the bombardier beetle 's abdomen . the inspiration for this dastardly defense mechanism comes from none other than the bombardier beetle , which sprays near - boiling acid at any foes who coming knocking .