(812 species)
Beetles (Coleoptera) form the largest order of insects on planet earth. Estimates speak of more than one million species of beetles. They are adapted to many different habitats on land and even under water (e.g. Dytiscidae).
Prominent character of beetles are the elytra, which are the sclerotinised forewings of the animal that protect the membranaceous rear wing pair. These elytra often exhibit prominent patterns or sculpturing. Also, beetles possess a diverse morphology of e.g. antennae shapes, mouth parts and leg morphology to adapt to various conditions. Their general morphology is shown here, and some of their visible mouthparts are shown here.
Beetles range from around 1 mm to more than 10 cm in length. Beetles are herbivoric or carnivoric, while some are specialised on plants (e.g. Chrysomelidae = leaf beetles), other focus on fungi (e.g. Mycetophagidae, Erotylidae), or on dead animals (e.g. Silphidae), while others hunt prey (e.g. Histeridae, whose massive mouthparts reflect their feeding habits.
Beetles belong to the holometabolic insects with a complete life cycle. They have a larval phase (which may endure for several years), a immobilised pupa, and the adult beetle or imago, which in general has wings and lays the eggs.
