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Order: Coleoptera (beetles)
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Beetles
belong to the order Coleoptera, the largest and most diverse order, not only in
the insect class, but in the entire animal kingdom. More than one third of all
described animal species are beetles. Of the 370,000 described species that occur
worldwide, about 18,000 occur in southern Africa.
Beetles vary in size from
minute to very large (Goliathus).
Beetles have hard sclerotized bodies, 3 pairs of thoracic legs (legs attached to
the thorax) and mouthparts that are adapted for chewing (unlike the Hemiptera
mouthparts that are adapted tubes for sucking). They usually have 2 pairs of
wings. Unlike other insects where both pairs are flexible or membranous, the
fore wings are modified into hardened covers called elytra. When the animal is
at rest, the hind wings are folded under, and protected by, the elytra. For
flight, the elytra are lifted and the hind wings unfold and flap while the
elytra are held up and act a stabilisers. However, not all beetles fly. In some
cases the elytra are fused, the females are wingless or the hind wings are
insufficiently
developed for flying.
Beetles grow and develop through a process called
metamorphosis from egg, larva, pupa to adult.
Learn more about:
Special features:
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Beetles occupy many varied
and diverse niches in the natural world:
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Beetles that are vulnerable and/or protected by law
Lucanidae -
Colophon,
Scarabaeidae
- Circellium bacchus |
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Beetles that eat cicadas
Rhipiceridae.
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Beetles that eat cycads
Brentidae |
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Beetles that eat detritus and carrion
Bolboceratidae,
Cleridae,
Dermestidae,
Elateridae,
Histeridae,
Hydrophilidae,
Lycidae,
Scarabaeidae,
Silphidae,
Staphylinidae,
Tenebrionidae,
Trogidae.
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Beetles that eat dung
Bolboceratidae,
Histeridae,
Hydrophilidae,
Scarabaeidae,
Staphylinidae
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Beetles that eat fruit and flowers
Scarabaeidae - Cetoniinae,
Buprestidae,
Curculionidae
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Beetles that eat fungi
Anthribidae,
Brentidae,
Cupedidae,
Discolomatidae,
Nitidulidae
Staphylinidae
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Beetles that eat leaves
Apionidae,
Brachyceridae,
Chrysomelidae,
Curculionidae,
Meloidae,
Scarabaeidae - Cetoniinae,
Scarabaeidae- Rutelinae |
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Beetles that eat mites
Scydmaenidae
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Beetles that eat
nectar
Cerambycidae,
Meloidae
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Beetles that eat
pollen
Cerambycidae,
Dermestidae,
Elateridae,
Meloidae, Melyridae,
Nitidulidae
Rhipiceridae,
Scarabaeidae - Rutelinae,
Staphylinidae
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Beetles that eat
seeds
Curculionidae, Bruchinae
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Beetles that eat
snails
Drilidae,
Lampyridae,
Silphidae
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Beetles that eat your fig trees
Cerambycidae |
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Beetles that are
predators
Anthicidae,
Carabidae,
Cleridae, Coccinellidae,
Dytiscidae,
Melyridae,
Paussinae,
Staphylinidae |
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Beetles that live in
water
Aspidytidae,
Dytiscidae,
Gyrinidae,
Hydrophilidae
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Beetles that live in
wood
Buprestidae,
Bostrychidae,
Cerambycidae, Lucanidae,
Lymexylididae
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Beetles that are
pests
Anobiidae,
Bostrychidae,
Cerambycidae,
Chrysomelidae,
Curculionidae,
Dermestidae,
Elateridae
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Beetles in high places
Lucanidae -
Colophon
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Beetles that don't
fly
Carabidae,
Cleridae,
Brachyceridae, some
Curculionidae, female
Lampyridae,
Lucanidae - Colophon, Scarabaeidae - Circellium bacchus,
some
Scarabaeus, Ptinidae, most
Tenebrionidae
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Beetles that look like
seeds
Lycidae,
Curculionidae
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Beetles that look like
spiders
Ptinidae
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Beetles that look like flying ants or dragonflies.
Lymexylidae |
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Beetles that
click
Elateridae
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Beetles called flies
Fire fly - Lampyridae,
Spanish Fly - Meloidae
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Beetles called ladybirds
Coccinellidae |
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Beetles called monkeys
Scarabaeidae - Hopliini
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Beetles called a Rhinoceros
Scarabaeidae -
Dynastinae |
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Beetles called
tigers
Cicindelinae
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Beetles called glow worms
Lampyridae
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Beetles called
jewels
Buprestidae
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Beetles that live with
ants
Paussinae |
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Beetles with explosives and poisonous
chemicals
Carabidae, Chrysomelidae,
Meloidae,
Paussinae
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Beetles that provide poison for Bushman arrows
Chrysomelidae |
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Beetles that
have a long
childhood
Buprestidae
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Beetles that hitch rides with
bees
or mimic amorous bees to find food.
Meloidae
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Beetles that use 'aqua
lungs'
Dytiscidae
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Beetles that are mimicked by lizards
Carabidae - Anthiinae
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Beetles that are erroneously reputed to be good for sex
Meloidae |
Acknowledgements
Our thanks to Drs Picker, Griffiths and Weaving for permission to use
their images from their Field Guide to Insects of South Africa.
Other images by H. Robertson and V. Whitehead.
Publications
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Picker, M., Griffiths, C. & Weaving, A. 2002.
Field Guide to Insects of South Africa. Struik Publishers.
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Scholtz, C. & Holm, E. 1985. Insects of
Southern Africa. Butterworths Professional Publishers (Pty) Ltd.
Links
This beetle site was developed by
Margie Cochrane
(last update: December 2007).
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