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BEETLES

Specialty Definition: BEETLES

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Specialty Definition: Beetle

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

For alternate meanings see: Beetle (disambiguation)

Beetles (Coleoptera) are one of the main groups of insects. The order Coleoptera has more species in it than any other order in the entire animal kingdom, followed closely by the butterflies, bees and wasps, and flies. 40% of all animal species are beetles, and every day new species are discovered.

Beetles
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Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Subclass: Pterygota Superorder: Neoptera Order: Coleoptera
Families
Suborder Adephaga    Rhysodidae    Cicindelidae - Tiger Beetle    Carabidae - Ground Beetle    Paussidae    Amphizoidae    Hygrobiidae    Haliplidae    Dytiscidae - True Water (or Diving) Beetle    Gyrinidae - Whirligig Beetle Suborder Archostemata    Cupedidae    Micromalthidae Suborder Polyphaga  Superfamily Hydrophiloidea    Hydrophilidae  Superfamily Histeroidea    Sphaeritidae    Synteliidae    Histeridae  Superfamily Staphylinoidea    Sphaeriidae    Clambidae    Limulodidae    Hydroscaphidae    Ptiliidae    Leptinidae    Anisotomidae    Silphidae - Carrion beetles    Scydmaenidae    Scaphidiidae    Pselaphidae    Staphylinidae - Rove Beetle  Superfamily Scarabaeoidea    Passalidae    Lucanidae - Stag Beetle    Trogidae    Acanthoceridae    Geotrupidae    Scarabaeidae - Chafer, etc.  Superfamily Dascilloidea    Dascillidae    Helodidae    Eucinetidae  Superfamily Byrrhoidea    Byrrhidae    Georyssidae  Superfamily Dryopoidea    Psephenidae    Eurypogonidae    Ptilodactylidae    Chelonariidae    Heteroceridae    Limnichidae    Dryopidae    Elmidae  Superfamily Rhipiceroidea    Rhipiceridae    Callirhipidae  Superfamily Buprestoidea    Buprestidae  Superfamily Elateroidea    Cebrionidae    Elateridae - Click Beetle    Trixagidae    Cerophytidae    Eucnemidae  Superfamily Cantharoidea    Drilidae    Phengodidae    Lampyridae - "firefly"    Cantharidae - Soldier beetle    Lycidae  Superfamily Dermestoidea    Nosodendridae    Dermestidae    Thorictidae  Superfamily Bostrychoidea    Anobiidae    Ptinidae    Bostrychidae    Lyctidae - Powder Post Beetle  Superfamily Cleroidea    Trogositidae    Cleridae    Melyridae    Phloiophilidae  Superfamily Lymexyloidea    Lymexylidae  Superfamily Cucujoidea   Section Clavicornia    Nitidulidae    Rhizophagidae    Sphindidae    Protocucujidae    Passandridae    Cucujidae    Silvanidae    Helotidae    Phycosecidae    Propalticidae    Cryptophagidae    Biphyllidae    Byturidae    Languriidae    Erotylidae    Phalacridae    Cisidae    Cerylonidae    Corylophidae    Coccinellidae - Ladybug    Endomychidae    Discolomidae    Lathridiidae    Merophysiidae   Section Heteromera    Colydiidae    Mycetophagidae    Pterogeniidae    Nilionidae    Tenebrionidae    Zopheridae    Boridae    Lagriidae    Alleculidae    Monommidae    Elacatidae    Inopeplidae    Salpingidae    Cononotidae    Pythidae    Hemipeplidae    Mycteridae    Trictenotomidae    Pyrochroidae - Cardinal Beetle    Melandryidae    Tetratomidae    Scraptiidae    Mordellidae    Rhipiphoridae    Meloidae - Oil Beetle, Blister Beetle    Cephaloidae    Anthicidae    Oedemeridae    Pedilidae    Aderidae    Petriidae  Superfamily Chrysomeloidea    Cerambycidae    Bruchidae    Chrysomelidae  Superfamily Curculionoidea    Nemonychidae    Anthribidae    Belidae    Oxycorynidae    Aglycyderidae    Attelabidae    Brenthidae    Apionidae    Curculionidae - Weevil

The forewings of beetles are transformed into hard shells, called elytra. These elytra form an armour protecting the abdomen and the sensitive hindwings. The forewings are not used (at least not actively flapped) in flying, but they must (in most species) be raised in order to move the hindwings. After landing the hindwings are folded below the elytra. Most beetles can fly, but few reach the dexterity of some other groups, e.g. flies, and many species only fly if absolutely necessary. Some beetles have elytra that have grown together and cannot fly at all; a few have lost their wings altogether.

Beetles can be found in almost all biotopes. They don't occur in the sea or in the polar regions.

Beetles are endopterygotes with complete metamorphosis. The larva of a beetle is called a grub.

When J. B. S. Haldane, British physiologist and philosopher, was asked what his studies of nature revealed about God, he replied, "An inordinate fondness for beetles."

The study of beetles is called Coleopterology, and its practioners Coleopterists. Notable Coleopterists include:

• Charles Darwin
• Horace Donisthorpe

Larger Aphthona flava flea beetle

Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Beetle."

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