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Coleoptera
IUCN
NCBI
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The heaviest insects in the world are beetles. There are some African and South American beetles that are as big as your fist!
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | ©1995-2012, The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors |
Source | http://www.biokids.umich.edu/critters/Coleoptera/ |
Order Coleoptera has the most insect species. Beetles can be found throughout the world and can vary from a millimeter to 75 millimeters in length. They have an open circulatory system that uses fluid instead of blood. Most beetles have two pairs of wings, one pair is hardened and the other pair is membranous. Their antennae are mostly used for their sense of smell. They have spiracles, which are breathing holes on their abdomen. Most beetles feed on plants, but other species are predaceous. Some species are aquatic and have a hard exoskeleton. Some species are sexually dimorphic. This can be seen when males have horns on their head. Most beetles undergo complete metamorphosis. They go through several stages from: the egg, the grub, the pupa, and the adult (also known as an imago). Most beetles have a gland that produces pheromones to attract a mate. Beetles can be found in the fossil record as far back as the Lower Permian. People release beetles to control common pests, for instance, ladybugs are released into gardens to control aphid populations.
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | Rhianna Hruska, Rhianna Hruska |
Source | No source database. |
Beetles are found in just about every habitat. Most species live on plants, others tunnel or burrow, some swim.
Habitat Regions: temperate ; tropical ; polar ; terrestrial ; freshwater
Terrestrial Biomes: tundra ; taiga ; desert or dune ; chaparral ; forest ; rainforest ; scrub forest ; mountains
Aquatic Biomes: lakes and ponds; rivers and streams
Wetlands: marsh ; swamp ; bog
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | ©1995-2012, The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors |
Source | http://www.biokids.umich.edu/critters/Coleoptera/ |
Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD) Stats
Specimen Records:266387
Specimens with Sequences:185566
Specimens with Barcodes:156488
Species:24872
Species With Barcodes:20401
Public Records:154468
Public Species:10231
Public BINs:27335
Beetles eat all kinds of food. Most are specialists in few kinds, but some, like ground beetles, eat lots of things. Most beetles eat plant parts, either leaves or seeds or fruit or wood. Many are predators on other small animals. Some eat fungus, and there are a bunch of species that eat dung. Sometimes the larvae eat different foods than the adults do.
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | ©1995-2012, The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors |
Source | http://www.biokids.umich.edu/critters/Coleoptera/ |
Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 0
Specimens with Barcodes: 1
Species With Barcodes: 1
Nomada luteoloides Robertson: Anthophoridae (Nomadini), Hymenoptera
(this observation is from Steury et al.)
Rosaceae: Pyrus calleryana sn (SDO)
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | Copyright © 2002-2015 by Dr. John Hilty |
Source | /beetles/anthaxia_flavimana.html |
Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 0
Specimens with Barcodes: 1
Species With Barcodes: 1
Beetles have lots of roles. Dung beetles help get rid of waste, beetles that eat wood help break down dead trees, some beetles feed on pollen and help pollinate flowers.
Ecosystem Impact: pollinates; biodegradation
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | ©1995-2012, The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors |
Source | http://www.biokids.umich.edu/critters/Coleoptera/ |
Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 0
Specimens with Barcodes: 1
Species With Barcodes: 1