Beetle - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.

org/wiki/Beetle

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Beetles are a group of insects that form the order Coleoptera, in the superorder Endopterygota. Their front pair
of wings is hardened into wing-cases, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. The Coleoptera, with
about 400,000 species, is the largest of all orders, constituting almost 40% of described insects and 25% of all
known animal life-forms; new species are discovered frequently. The largest of all families, the Curculionidae
(weevils) with some 70,000 member species, belongs to this order. They are found in almost every habitat
except the sea and the polar regions. They interact with their ecosystems in several ways: beetles often feed on
plants and fungi, break down animal and plant debris, and eat other invertebrates. Some species are serious
agricultural pests, such as the Colorado potato beetle, while others such as Coccinellidae (ladybirds or
ladybugs) eat aphids, scale insects, thrips, and other plant-sucking insects that damage crops.

Beetles typically have a particularly hard exoskeleton including the elytra, though some such as the rove beetles
have very short elytra while blister beetles have softer elytra. The general anatomy of a beetle is quite uniform
and typical of insects, although there are several examples of novelty, such as adaptations in water beetles
which trap air bubbles under the elytra for use while diving. Beetles are endopterygotes, which means that they
undergo complete metamorphosis, with a series of conspicuous and relatively abrupt changes in body structure
between hatching and becoming adult after a relatively immobile pupal stage. Some, such as stag beetles, have a
marked sexual dimorphism, the males possessing enormously enlarged mandibles which they use to fight other
males. Many beetles are aposematic, with bright colours and patterns warning of their toxicity, while others are
harmless Batesian mimics of such insects. Many beetles, including those that live in sandy places, have
effective camouflage.

Beetles are prominent in human culture, from the sacred scarabs of ancient Egypt to beetlewing art and use as
pets or fighting insects for entertainment and gambling. Many beetle groups are brightly and attractively
coloured making them objects of collection and decorative displays. Over 300 species are used as food, mostly
as larvae; species widely consumed include mealworms and rhinoceros beetle larvae. However, the major
impact of beetles on human life is as agricultural, forestry, and horticultural pests. Serious pests include the boll
weevil of cotton, the Colorado potato beetle, the coconut hispine beetle, and the mountain pine beetle. Most
beetles, however, do not cause economic damage and many, such as the lady beetles and dung beetles are
beneficial by helping to control insect pests.

The name of the taxonomic order, Coleoptera, comes from the Greek koleopteros (), given to
the group by Aristotle for their elytra, hardened shield-like forewings, from koleos, sheath, and pteron, wing.
The English name beetle comes from the Old English word bitela, little biter, related to btan (to bite),[2][3]
leading to Middle English betylle.[4] Another Old English name for beetle is ceafor, chafer, used in names such
as cockchafer, from the Proto-Germanic *kabraz- (compare German Kfer).[5]

Beetles are by far the largest order of insects: the roughly 400,000 species make up about 40% of all insect
species so far described, and about 25% of all animals.[1][6][7][8][9][10] A 2015 study provided four independent

1 of 33 7/25/17, 10:22 AM