Beetles: what are the types of these insects (photo with names)

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Among a large number of insects, beetles or beetles are a separate order. They were named for the fact that the elytra are hard or leathery, modified. Among the large number of representatives there are very bright species, rare and harmful animals.

Content

What beetles look like: photo
General characteristics
beetle species
Animal behavior
The value of beetles in nature and for humans
Conclusion

What beetles look like: photo

Variety of beetles.

General characteristics

Name: Beetles or Coleoptera
Latin: coleoptera
Class: Insects - Insecta

	Habitats:	everywhere except cold regions
	Dangerous for:	depending on the type
	Means of destruction:	folk, chemical, prevention

Beetles are a detachment of insects with complete metamorphosis. Almost 3 tons of fossil species have been studied, but a large number are unexplored. They are distributed everywhere, in addition to the Antarctic, the Arctic and the highest mountains. But the most attractive specimens can be admired in the tropics.

beetle species

This order of insects is one of the most numerous.

Ground beetles

Numerous family of large beetles, most of which are predators. They most often do not fly and have an inconspicuous dark appearance.

spinners

This is a genus of aquatic beetles. Familiar to most are predatory swimming swimmers living in stagnant reservoirs. They have a shiny body and excellent appetite.

Ladybugs

Familiar from childhood, spotted insects are actually predators with a significant appetite. They prey on aphids, but irritate people with their poisonous milk.

Colorado beetles

Pests of nightshade crops that cause great damage to the crop. They harm at all stages of their development. They have a brutal appetite.

Bronze shoes

Bright beetles with a metallic sheen on the belly and back, which often settle in colonies on the site. They are unpretentious in food, they equally willingly eat flowers and fruits.

Dolgonosiki

They are elephants. They can have a long and short proboscis. Depending on the species, they feed on flowers, herbs, roots or buds. Often affects rotting wood.

Maybug

An active pest covered with dense hairs. He, and especially his larva, very quickly spoils a lot of plants. An adult caterpillar can eat the roots of a tree in a day.

Medvedki

An underground inhabitant with a frightening appearance and a vile character. She eats everything she finds underground, and spoils inedible parts of plants, gnawing them on the way. Large animals fly and chirp loudly.

Breachers

A large family with large members, the color of which is amazing. Adults feed on plant food, and the larvae are almost always parasites.

scarabs

One of the most mysterious representatives of the family, which are part of mythology. They lead a useful life, accelerate the process of decomposition of organic matter.

Barbel

According to the name, representatives of the genus are representative due to their mustaches. Some copies are rare and very expensive.

Soft beetles

They have black legs and orange markings on their bodies. Very active beetles are predators, but some feed on nectar or pollen.

Structure

The structure of all representatives of beetles is the same.

Structure	Morphology
Body	Consists of three parts: head, chest and belly.
Head	Consists of the main capsule, antennae and mouth. It is divided into parts weakly, the neck, occiput and crown are not very noticeable. Sensory organs are also located: eyes, palps. The oral apparatus is gnawing.
Chest	Consists of three parts. The pronotum is often an indicator among beetle species. Elytra are located on the mesonotum, and wings are attached to the metanotum.
Limbs	All beetles have three pairs of limbs. They are in five parts. Depending on the type of beetle, they are slightly modified, because they can be designed not only for walking and running, but for digging or swimming.
Wings	The forewings are hard, like a shell, in some species modified and completely reduced. The wings are usually longer and wider than the elytra, but are hidden at rest.
Abdomen	It consists of several segments, which can be partially modified. At the end are retractable genitals.

Sizes and shades

Deer beetle.

The sizes of representatives differ, and dramatically. The largest specimens reach a height of 17,1 cm, and according to unconfirmed information, one species, the titan lumberjack, has a length of 210 mm.

The smallest non-parasitic beetle is Scydosella musawasensis, a beetle found in South America. Its length is 0,352 mm. In Europe, the largest is stag beetle.

In terms of the number of shades and variety of patterns, beetles occupy one of the first places among insects. The coloring is amazing:

all monophonic;
metallic luster;
drawings on separate parts;

combinations of several shades;
polished or rough surface;
pigmentation.

Sexual dimorphism and polymorphism

Pair of May beetles.

Depending on the type of beetle, there are differences in the appearance of males and females. Moreover, there are differences both in terms of size and in terms of color. Some species have horns or tubercles that distinguish the male sex. The length of the mustache may also vary.

Polymorphism - several different forms of the same species appear in different families. It may depend on a sufficient amount of food base in the development process or on the place of residence.

Development and life cycle

Representatives of Coleoptera are dioecious oviparous. They go through 4 stages of development, rare species differ from these stages. Sometimes there are individuals with live birth.

Eggs

Usually oval or round in shape, painted in light colors or translucent. They are laid out in protected places or specially prepared cavities. Depending on the species, they can be deposited in a bunch or singly.

Larvae

They have only a few common characteristics: a sclerotized head, a fleshy body, and a gnawing mouthpart. There are individuals with short strong legs or a narrow body, capable of stretching. Some may even be predators.

Pupa

Whitish, free, appear in the soil or place of development. During the transformation period, all organs appear.

Care of offspring

It manifests itself in preparing a place for laying eggs and preparing food for future offspring. Many do not.

Animal behavior

Coleoptera have several behavioral features that are characteristic only of representatives of the species.

Acoustic ability

Beetles chirp with the help of a calf.

About 20 families among all representatives communicate using sounds. There is a special stridulation apparatus for this. The sounds are produced when the beetles move the mesothorax relative to the prothorax. With sounds:

representatives of different sexes meet;
repel predators;
warn others of the threat.

bioluminescent glow

Fireflies.

Fireflies and click beetles are distinguished by their ability to glow in the dark. This is possible thanks to special light organs on the abdomen. In some sternites there are substances that oxidize and look bright.

It is also one of the ways of communication. This is how fireflies call females or males. And some do it as a mating signal, and some predators lure males into a trap and eat them.

Distribution and habitation

Beetles are found everywhere without exaggeration. Insects do not live only in the glacial parts of the Arctic and Antarctic, but there are species that in the north have adapted well to the way of life, sitting next to people. They live everywhere:

in the upper layers of the soil;
on the ground;
on the grass;
under the bark;

in wood;
on leaves;
in flowers;
in fruits;

on the roots;
in reservoirs;
deserts and semi-deserts;
anthills.

Protection Mechanisms

These insects have different versions of the mechanisms that are used for protection. Among them:

Immobility. Many species pretend to be dead and fall motionless.
playfulness. It is running, jumping, swimming or flying. Such species prefer to escape.
Threatening. Some species assume intimidating postures and raise their mandibles to frighten the enemy.
Noise. This method can serve both as a defense against enemies and as a warning to others.
Shades. The color itself is often masking, which makes the animals inconspicuous.

Nutrition and natural enemies

Dietary preferences vary by species. Beetles eat almost any organic matter. There are lovers of plants, animal food, fungal spores, decomposed parts of wood and organic matter. But there are individuals that have a mixed type of nutrition.

Among the natural enemies of beetles there are a lot of different animal species - mammals, arthropods and parasitic riders. Most often, beetles are eaten:

spiders;
scorpions;
centipedes;
Mouse;

rats;
crows;
magpies;
mammals.

Many beetles become victims of humans. But most often they eat larvae, sometimes pupae.

The value of beetles in nature and for humans

A large number of animal species provides a very wide role in the ecosystem.

Many beetles and their larvae are involved in soil formation and wood processing. Some of them utilize weakened tree samples, speeding up the decomposition process.
Economic importance individuals are large. Many are helpful in the fight against pests and weeds. Some even introduce them on purpose.
vermin Agriculture. There are a lot of these representatives. They infect herbs, trees, fruit, conifers, leaves and buds. They often eat stems and fruits.
Neighbors of people. A number of species prefer to settle in the house of people. They can feed on leather, paper, groceries and dried fruits. Often affects wood.
Human health. Many species secrete a protective mechanism in the form of geolymph. It on the human body can cause an abscess, burn or itching, possibly a disorder. There have been manifestations of allergies.
cultural parts. Some people often encountered beetles in myths and symbols, some were attributed magical properties. They often met in the cinema and on the canvases of the classics.
Collecting. Private collections can accrue several thousand individuals. They are selected by colors or types, I focus on aesthetics. There are also scientific ones, including for cabinets of curiosities.

Conclusion

Beetles are one of the brightest and largest families of insects. They are diverse, have their own species characteristics, preferences in nutrition and lifestyle.

Many of them are beautiful, but there are also inconspicuous examples. Some suffer from exposure to humans or other animals and become part of collections. But each of them is an important part of nature, with its own role.

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