What the beetle eats: beetle enemies and friends of mankind

Who are the beetles

Bronzovka.

Beetles are a large detachment of insects. They play an important role in the food chain, feeding on a range of foods themselves and being preyed upon by some animals and birds.

Their difference is the modification of the front wings. They are dense and leathery, sometimes sclerotized. What all species have in common is wings, a developed gnawing or chewing mouth apparatus. Body sizes, shape and shades are different.

What do bugs eat

To summarize, a large detachment of beetles eats almost everything. For substances of organic origin, there is a kind of beetle that feasts on it.

There is a certain classification according to the type of food, but not everything is taken into account in it. Some species of beetles belong to several groups at once.

Mycetophages

Beetle tinder beetle.

This is a row of beetles that feed on mushrooms. Among them are those that feed on spores, live on wood and grow mushrooms there, those that live in excrement and animal carcasses. This group includes:

• tinder beetles;
• smooth-boilers;
• bark beetles;
• hiding beetles.

Phytophages

These include all beetles that eat all parts of living plants and their dead parts. The section is also divided into:

Zoophages

Beetle predator odorous beauty.

These include beetles that feed on plant foods. They also differ in the type of food. Among them are:

• predators that themselves eat prey;
• parasites that live in or on the body of the host without causing death;
• parasitoids that slowly lead to death;
• hemophagi are bloodsuckers.

Saprophages

Gravedigger beetle.

These are the beetles that eat the decaying remains of animals and plants. They may feed on dead arthropods, vertebrate carcasses, or fungi and wood in the final stages of decomposition. This:

• dung beetles;
• gravedigger beetles;
• termites;
• earthworms.

Harmful and beneficial bugs

The concept of harm and benefit was introduced by people. It is in relation to them that beetles can be conditionally divided. For nature, all living beings are equally valuable and have their own role.

When the vital activity of beetles comes into contact with a person, then concepts of benefit and harm arise.

Harmful beetles

This conditional group includes beetles, whose activity harms plants. Some beetles are polyphagous animals that destroy plants of different families. These include:

• polyphagous Colorado potato beetle;
• the nutcracker beetle, and especially its larva, the wireworm;
  

  Chafer.

• a bear whose activity destroys everything in its path;
• breadcrumbs;
• types of bark beetles;
• some mustaches.

Useful bugs

Ground beetle.

These are beetles that help fight insect pests. Their sufficient number on the site helps to balance the number of insects. These are:

• ladybugs;
• some ground beetles;
• soft-boiled fireman;
• ant pest.

What do beetles eat at home

Some people keep beetles as pets. They are not capricious, do not need a lot of attention and space. Well suited for people who do not have much time and have a tendency to allergies. But such animals cannot be stroked on the hands. Feed them:

Conclusion

Beetles are a big part of nature. They take their place in the food chain and play an important role in nature. In relation to people, depending on the type of food, they can harm or benefit. A number of beetles eat other pests, but some harm themselves.