Beetle 

For alternate meanings see: Beetle (disambiguation)

Beetles (Coleoptera) are one of the main groups of insects. They are the most speciose order in the entire animal kingdom, followed closely by the butterflies, bees and wasps, and flies. 40 % of all animal species are beetles, and every day new species are discovered.

Beetles
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Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Subclass: Pterygota[?] Superorder: Neoptera[?] Order: Coleoptera
Families
Suborder Adephaga    Rhysodidae[?]    Cicindelidae - Tiger Beetle    Carabidae[?] - Ground Beetle    Paussidae[?]    Amphizoidae[?]    Hygrobiidae[?]    Haliplidae[?]    Dytiscidae[?] - True Water (or Diving) Beetle    Gyrinidae[?] - Whirligig Beetle Suborder Archostemata    Cupedidae[?]    Micromalthidae[?] Suborder Polyphaga  Superfamily Hydrophiloidea    Hydrophilidae[?]  Superfamily Histeroidea    Sphaeritidae[?]    Synteliidae[?]    Histeridae[?]  Superfamily Staphylinoidea    Sphaeriidae[?]    Clambidae[?]    Limulodidae[?]    Hydroscaphidae[?]    Ptiliidae[?]    Leptinidae[?]    Anisotomidae[?]    Silphidae - Carrion beetles    Scydmaenidae[?]    Scaphidiidae[?]    Pselaphidae[?]    Staphylinidae[?] - Rove Beetle  Superfamily Scarabaeoidea    Passalidae[?]    Lucanidae - Stag Beetle    Trogidae[?]    Acanthoceridae[?]    Geotrupidae[?]    Scarabaeidae - Chafer, etc.  Superfamily Dascilloidea    Dascillidae[?]    Helodidae[?]    Eucinetidae[?]  Superfamily Byrrhoidea    Byrrhidae[?]    Georyssidae[?]  Superfamily Dryopoidea    Psephenidae[?]    Eurypogonidae[?]    Ptilodactylidae[?]    Chelonariidae[?]    Heteroceridae[?]    Limnichidae[?]    Dryopidae[?]    Elmidae[?]  Superfamily Rhipiceroidea    Rhipiceridae[?]    Callirhipidae[?]  Superfamily Buprestoidea    Buprestidae[?]  Superfamily Elateroidea    Cebrionidae[?]    Elateridae[?] - Click Beetle    Trixagidae[?]    Cerophytidae[?]    Eucnemidae[?]  Superfamily Cantharoidea    Drilidae[?]    Phengodidae[?]    Lampyridae - fire-fly    Cantharidae[?] - "Spanish fly"    Lycidae[?]  Superfamily Dermestoidea    Nosodendridae[?]    Dermestidae[?]    Thorictidae[?]  Superfamily Bostrychoidea    Anobiidae[?]    Ptinidae[?]    Bostrychidae[?]    Lyctidae[?] - Powder Post Beetle  Superfamily Cleroidea    Trogositidae[?]    Cleridae[?]    Melyridae[?]    Phloiophilidae[?]  Superfamily Lymexyloidea    Lymexylidae[?]  Superfamily Cucujoidea   Section Clavicornia    Nitidulidae[?]    Rhizophagidae[?]    Sphindidae[?]    Protocucujidae[?]    Passandridae[?]    Cucujidae[?]    Silvanidae[?]    Helotidae[?]    Phycosecidae[?]    Propalticidae[?]    Cryptophagidae[?]    Biphyllidae[?]    Byturidae[?]    Languriidae[?]    Erotylidae[?]    Phalacridae    Cisidae[?]    Cerylonidae[?]    Corylophidae[?]    Coccinellidae - Ladybug    Endomychidae[?]    Discolomidae[?]    Lathridiidae[?]    Merophysiidae[?]   Section Heteromera    Colydiidae[?]    Mycetophagidae[?]    Pterogeniidae[?]    Nilionidae[?]    Tenebrionidae[?]    Zopheridae[?]    Boridae[?]    Lagriidae[?]    Alleculidae[?]    Monommidae[?]    Elacatidae[?]    Inopeplidae[?]    Salpingidae[?]    Cononotidae[?]    Pythidae[?]    Hemipeplidae[?]    Mycteridae[?]    Trictenotomidae[?]    Pyrochroidae[?] - Cardinal Beetle    Melandryidae[?]    Tetratomidae[?]    Scraptiidae[?]    Mordellidae[?]    Rhipiphoridae[?]    Meloidae[?] - Oil Beetle, Blister Beetle    Cephaloidae[?]    Anthicidae[?]    Oedemeridae[?]    Pedilidae[?]    Aderidae[?]    Petriidae[?]  Superfamily Chrysomeloidea    Cerambycidae[?]    Bruchidae[?]    Chrysomelidae[?]  Superfamily Curculionoidea    Nemonychidae[?]    Anthribidae[?]    Belidae[?]    Oxycorynidae[?]    Aglycyderidae[?]    Attelabidae[?]    Brenthidae[?]    Apionidae[?]    Curculionidae - Weevil

The forewings of beetles are transformed into hard shells, called elytra. These elytra form an armour protecting the abdomen and the sensitive hindwings. The forewings are not used (at least not actively flapped) in flying, but they must (in most species) be raised in order to move the hindwings. After landing the hindwings are folded below the elytra. Most beetles can fly, but few reach the dexterity of some other groups, e.g. flies, and many species only fly if absolutely necessary. Some beetles have elytra that have grown together and cannot fly at all; a few have lost their wings altogether.

Beetles can be found in almost all biotopes. They don't occur in the sea or in the polar regions.

Beetles are endopterygotes[?] with complete metamorphosis[?]. The larva of a beetle is called a grub.

When J. B. S. Haldane, British physiologist and philosopher, was asked what his studies of nature revealed about God, he replied, "An inordinate fondness for beetles."