Order: Coleoptera
Family: Carabidae (Ground beetle)
Genus: Brachinus (bombardier)
Species: igneus (fiery)

Most ground beetles are nocturnal predators and can usually be found in moist places, for example, under rocks or leaf litter. The preferred habitat of the fiery bombardier (Brachinus igneus) is within the dark and often damp corridors of education and learning, the museums, libraries, churches and universities of Great Britain. This species is rarely if ever spotted and uses the ubiquitous fire hydrants that line the walls of these buildings as camouflage.

Members of the Brachinus, or bombardier, group of ground beetles are known as such because of their unique defence mechanism. Stored in a special abdominal chamber are two relatively benign chemicals that are injected into another chamber if the beetle is disturbed. Here the chemicals are acted upon by an enzyme whereby a violent reaction is produced releasing oxygen, water, noxious chemicals (called quinones) and heat. This mixture is released as an explosive puff of irritating gas that can be aimed by the beetle with remarkable accuracy. The irritation, smell and audible report of this action is enough to put most predators off. The beetle is able to reload and fire in rapid succession (up to a dozen times) before its reservoir becomes exhausted temporarily.

The fiery bombardier beetle has a highly developed sense of loathing towards human beings displaying characteristics of haughtiness and arrogance. On hearing such an individual approach (often loudly commenting upon whatever subject surrounds them) the beetle prepares itself for attack.

Waiting for a suitable pause in speech the beetle punctuates the "rantings" of the speaker with a loud and long-lasting fart sound, whilst simultaneously emitting a foul smelling odour. The effect attracts stares from all those surrounding the victim, who is naturally mortified by the incident. In most instances the first attack is enough to make the victim depart the scene as quickly as possible leaving those remaining in uncontrollable fits of laughter.

Entomologists believe that it may be a particular pitch or tone that triggers the chemical reaction in the beetle but the definitive cause is still under investigation.