The dung beetle is one of the best known insects in the world, however, there are millions of types of beetles These beetles have adapted their bodies in different shapes and, as a result, today we have an impressive variety of species. How many kinds of beetles do you know? Discover different species and their characteristics in this article on our site. Keep reading!
How many species of beetles are there?
Beetles belong to the order Coleoptera (Coleoptera). In turn, it is divided into 4 suborders:
- Adephaga
- Archostemata
- Myxophaga
- Polyphaga
Now then, how many species of beetles are there? It is estimated that there are between 5 and 30 million species of beetles, although only 350,000 have been described and cataloged by scientists. This makes beetles the order of the animal kingdom with the largest number of species
Characteristics of beetles
Due to their diversity, it is difficult to establish morphological characteristics that are true for all classes of beetles. However, they share some peculiarities:
- They have a sectional body, made up of head, thorax and abdomen.
- Many species are winged, although not all are capable of soaring to high altitudes.
- They have large mouthparts and designed for chewing.
- Some species have claws and horns.
- They go through a metamorphosis during their growth: egg, larva, pupa and adult.
- They have compound eyes, that is, in each eye there are several receptive organs.
- They have antennas.
- They reproduce sexually.
Now that you know these general traits, it's time to introduce you to different kinds of beetles.
Types of large, flying beetles
We start this list with the types of large beetles. They are larger species that live in varied habitats. Thanks to their peculiarities, it will be easy for you to recognize them.
These are some of the large, winged beetle species:
- Titan Beetle
- Goliath Beetle
- Mayate
- Glorious Beetle
- Eastern Firefly
1. Titan Beetle
The titan beetle (Titanus giganteus) reaches the impressive size of 17 centimetersIt is found in the Amazon forests, where it lives on the bark of trees. The species has a jaw with powerful pincers and two long antennae. It can fly from the top of the trees and the males emit a clear sound in the face of threats.
two. Goliath Beetle
The Goliath beetle (Goliathus goliathus) is a species discovered in Guinea and Gabon. It stands out for measuring up to 12 centimeters in length. This species of beetle has a particular coloration: in addition to a black body, on the back it has a pattern of white spots that make it easy to identify.
3. Mayate
Other of the large beetle classes is the mayate (Cotinis mutabilis). This species can be found in Mexico and the United States. It stands out for its coloration, as the body shows a very striking bright green tone. The mayate is a beetle that feeds on dung It is also another type of flying beetle.
Also discover on our site what are the curiosities of the dung beetle.
4. Glorious Beetle
The glory beetle (Chrysina gloriosa) is a flying beetle that is distributed in Mexico and the United States. It stands out for its bright green color, ideal for camouflaging itself in the wooded areas it inhabits. In addition, there is the hypothesis that the species is capable of detecting polarized light, at which point it changes its color to darker tones.
5. Eastern Firefly
The eastern firefly (Photinus pyralis), and all types of fireflies, are flying beetles. In addition, these species are distinguished by their bioluminescence, that is, the ability to emit light through their abdomen. This species is native to North America. Its habits are crepuscular and it uses bioluminescence to communicate between males and females.
Types of small beetles
Not all beetles are large, there are also smaller species with curious characteristics.
Meet these types of small beetles:
- Chinese beetle
- Vine Flea Beetle
- Wine Weevil
1. Chinese beetle
The Chinese beetle (Xuedytes bellus) is a species only 9 millimeterswhich is located in Duan (China). It lives in the caves of the area and is adapted to life in the dark It has a compact but elongated body. The legs and antennae are thin, and it does not have wings.
two. Vine Weevil
The vine weevil (Otiorhynchus sulcatus) is a small species that parasitizes ornamental plants or those that offer fruit Both the adult and the larvae parasitize plant species, becoming a serious problem. It attacks the stem, leaves and roots.
3. Pine Weevil
Another small beetle is the pine weevil (Hylobius abietis). The species is distributed in Europe, where it parasitizes land planted with conifers. This is a kind of flying beetle, capable of reaching impressive distances: between 10 and 80 kilometers away.
What do beetles eat? Find out on our site!
Types of poisonous beetles
As conspicuous as they may seem, some beetles are poisonous, either to people or to potential predators; including domestic pets. Here are some kinds of poisonous beetles:
- Cantharides
- Common Oil
1. Cantharides
The cantaridaid (Lytta vesicatoria) is a venomous beetle for the human being. It is characterized by having a bright green and elongated body, with thin legs and antennae. This species synthesizes a substance called cantharidin In ancient times, it was considered to have aphrodisiac and medicinal properties, but today it is known to be toxic.
two. Common Oil
Another poisonous beetle is the common oil beetle (Berberomeloe majalis), which is also capable of synthesizing cantharidin. The species is easy to identify, as it has a elongated carbon-blackbody, crossed by conspicuous red stripes.
Types of horned beetles
Among the peculiarities of the beetles, some of them have horns. These are the species that have this structure:
- Hercules Beetle
- Rhinoceros beetle
- Bull Bull Bug
1. Hercules Beetle
The Hercules beetle (Dynastes hercules) reaches up to 17 centimetersIn addition to being large, it is one of the types of beetles with horns, since the one located on its head measures up to 5 centimeters, these horns only appear in males. In addition, the species changes color according to the humidity level of the ecosystem: under normal conditions, its body is greenish, while it turns black when it exceeds the 80% humidity in the environment.
two. Rhinoceros beetle
The European rhinoceros beetle (Oryctes nasicornis) gets its name from the horn on its head. It measures between 25 and 48 millimeters, being one of the largest beetles. The females do not have horns. Both sexes appear dark brown or black. It is distributed in several European countries, including Spain, and there are several subspecies.
3. Bull Bug
The bicho torito (Diloboderus abderus Sturm) is a large horned beetle that is distributed in different countries of South America. The species is well known, as this common beetle nests on plantations. The white, robust larvae become a pest of plantations, devouring fodder, seeds and roots.
Don't miss our article on The World's Largest Insects!
Bibliography
- Bonner Buck, J. "Studies on the Firefly. II. The Signal System and Color Vision in Photinus pyralis." Physiological Zoology 10, (4): 1937, 412-419.
- "Color does not matter in the toxicity of poisonous beetles." (2017, October 18). Europe Press, Madrid. See:
- Solbreck, C. "Dispersal distances of migrating pine weevils, Hylobius Abietis, Coleoptera: Curculionidae". Entomologia Experimentalist et Applicata 28 (2): 1980, 123-131.
- "A 'much' wanted poisonous beetle." Ibero-American Agency for the Diffusion of Science and Technology. Check:
- "Beetles". National Geographic Spain. Check:
- Brady, P. and Cummings, M. "Differential Response to Circularly Polarized Light by the Jewel Scarab Beetle Chrysina gloriosa." The American Naturalist 175 (5): 2010, 614-620.
- Imwinkelried, J. "Evaluation of seed-curing insecticides in the control of white bollworm Diloboderus abderus (Coleoptera: Melolonthidae) in wheat." Bulletin 2 (2004). Editions National Institute of Agricultural Technology.
- Munoz-Pineda, E. et at. "Symmetries and relationships between elements of the Mueller matrix spectra of the cuticle of the beetle Cotinis mutabilis". Science Direct 571 (3): 2014, 660-665.
- Coleoptera. ITIS Report.
- Hancook, E. and Douglas, A. "William Hunter’s Goliath beetle, Goliathus goliatus (Linnaeus, 1771), re-visited". Archives of Natural History 36 (2): 2009
- Rassart, M.; Colomer, J. et al. "Diffractive hygrochromic effect in the cuticle of the hercules beetle Dynastes hercules". New Journal of Physics, Volume 10, 2008. Access:
- López-Cólon, J. I. "Data on the feeding and Iberian distribution of Oryctes nasicornis grypus Illiger, 1803 (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Dynastinae)". SEA Biology 33: 2018, 183-188. Consultation:
