Beetle Facts

Beetle, the common name of the Coleoptera, the largest order of insects, of which there are known to be at least 150,000 species. They have four wings but the outer pair are hard and useless for flying. They are useful, however, as a double piece of armor to cover the soft back of the insect. In some species these wing covers are beautifully colored and brilliantly marked in varied designs. There are minute, almost microscopic forms of beetles, and large ones which may reach four inches in length. There is no uniformity in shape, as some are almost globular, others flat and round; some are long and slender, other thick and broad. The mouths of beetles are fitted for biting and tearing, and in some species the mandibles or jaws are very large and strong. In some, the head is extended in a long beak not a part of the mouth. Beetles are found in the water, on the land, in flowers, and in the ground, in the homes of other insects and even living as parasites in other animals. No parts of the world are free from them. Even the waters of hot springs and the ocean make homes for them. Their range of food is as wide as their habitations.

Many species capture their food alive, while others prefer dead and decaying tissues. They have powerful compound eyes and sensitive antennae, which vary wonderfully in size and shape. Some are saw-like, other feathery, others long and smooth, some bearing leaf-shaped attachments, others terminating in knobs or catkin-like enlargements. Some beetles protect themselves by their mandibles, others by imitating their surroundings very closely, while some feign death and drop to the ground when disturbed. Some inoffensive species imitate wasps and hornets in their actions and so escape attack, while still other species protect themselves by shooting offensive odors at a pursuer.

Their usefulness in fertilizing flowers and in burying decaying substances, and, in some instances, in serving as food and medicine, cannot be denied; yet in general they are very destructive and some are terrible pests. They pass through a regular metamorphosis, and their larvae, which are usually rather thick and clumsy in shape, move about and are armed with strong mandibles, which they use viciously. The larvae are commonly known as grubs. Their pupa state, which they pass in rude cocoons or cases, sometimes lasts for several years.

Very handsome collections of beetles can be easily made, because their hard wing-cases preserve their shapes, and no species is poisonous to handle.