Largest taxonomic group
The term “taxonomy” refers to the scientific
classification of organisms. Beetles constitute
the taxonomic insect order Coleoptera, the
largest taxonomic group. They account
for one in every five living species of
organism, including all animals, plants and fungi.
Approximately 40Ʌ of all living insect species
known to science are beetles.
Beetles are of almost global distribution, absent
only from Antarctica, northern polar regions and
marine habitats. Around 400,000 species have
been scientifically described so far, with many
additional ones revealed every year. It has been
estimated that even this number only represents
15Ʌ of all beetle species inhabiting our planet.First beetle-like species
The earliest insects that resemble modern-day
beetles date from deposits of the early Permian
age (c. 280 million years ago) found in Moravia
in the Czech Republic and also in Russia’s Ural
Mountains. They are housed in the taxonomic
family Tshekardocoleidae, within the prehistoric
taxonomic order Protocoleoptera, whose name
translates as “first beetles”.Heaviest beetle larva
The larva of the actaeon beetle (Megasoma
actaeon), which is native to the northern regions
of South America, averages 200 g (7 oz) when
fully grown. The heaviest specimen on record
was a male (left), bred in Japan in 2009, that in
its larval state weighed 228 g (8 oz) – almost
as much as an adult female common ratǴ
This same specimen also holds the record
for the heaviest beetle of any type and the
heaviest insect of any type.Beetles
ANIMALS
LONGEST WEEVIL
There are more than
60,000 species of
weevil currently
known to science,
making them among
the most numerous
of all beetle types.
Many weevils are
very small, but
the giraffe weevil
(Lasiorhynchus
barbicornis, above)
attains a total length
of up to 9 cm (3.54 in)
in adult males.
In relation to its
body size, South
Africa’s long-
snouted cycad weevil
(Antliarhinus zamiae)
has the longest
snout of any beetle.
At 2 cm (0.79 in), its
snout accounts for
two-thirds of the
weevil’s total length.HEAVIEST ADULT BEETLE ȍAND INSECTȎ
In their fully grown adult forms, the goliath
beetles (Scarabaeidae) of Equatorial Africa are
the heavyweights of the beetle world. The male
measures up to 11 cm (4.33 in) from the tips of
the frontal horns to the end of the abdomen,
and weighs a hefty 70–100 g (2.5–3.5 oz) –
one-and-a-half times heavier than a tennis ball.Smallest insects
There are two contenders for the title of world’s
smallest insect, both of which also qualify as the
smallest beetles. The “feather-winged” beetles
of the family Ptiliidae (or Trichopterygidae)
measure 0.25–0.30 mm (0.01–0.012 in), as do
certain species of featherwing beetle belonging
to the taxonomic tribe Nanosellini, such
as Scydosella musawasensis.Largest tiger beetle
The aptly named monster tiger beetle (Manticora
latipennis) – native to South Africa, Botswana
and Mozambique – often attains a total length of
6.5 cm (2.55 in). The male is rendered additionally
formidable by virtue of its huge antler-like
mandibles, which resemble those of the familiar
stag beetle. yet whereas the stag beetle’s
mandibles are principally ritualistic, they are fully
functional in the monster tigerDZ it uses them to
hold and manipulate its prey while chopping it
to pieces before devouring the chunks.Most social beetle
The first (and presently only) species of beetle
known to exhibit true social (“eusocial”) behaviour
is Austroplatypus incompertus – a species of
ambrosia beetle from Australia. A member of
the weevil family, it forms colonies inside the
heartwood of eucalyptus trees. Each colony
contains a single fertile female (the queen),
protected by infertile females (the workers), which
mates with fertile males (drones) to yield future
generations. It is a caste system comparable
to that of social bees and ants.Fastest beetle
The Usain Bolt of the beetle world – and the
fastest insect overall – is the Australian tiger
beetle (Cicindela hudsoni), which can run at 2.5 m/s
(5.6 mphǼ 9 km/h), or about 125 body lengths per
second. Taking Bolt’s stride length as 2.44 m (8 ft),
this would be the human equivalent of running
at 305 m/s (682 mphǼ 1,097 km/h) – just
under the speed of sound. The research
was published in 1999 by Thomas
M Merritt of the Department of
Entomology ə Nematology
at the University of
Florida, USA.Coleopterists (beetle experts) estimate that 85% of all
beetle species are still undiscovered and unnamed by science.An actaeon larva weighs
about the same as
6.25 adult sparrows!Two-thirds of all animals
catalogued and named by
scientists are insectsǼ of
these, 40Ʌ are beetles (this
means that of the c. 1.5 million
documented species of
animals, some 400,000 of
them are beetlesǴ)BEETLESHumans eat at least 300
different species of beetle
(usually in the larval stage)The San people of Namibia
dip their arrow tips in a
deadly poison extracted
from the larvae and pupae
of Chrysomelid beetlesTrue (modern-day)
beetles first appeared
c. 280 million years
ago, which means they
survived whatever killed
the dinosaursA beetle
hatches from its
egg in larval form
(above left) and then
undergoes a series of
development phases
known as “instars”.
Finally, it “pupates”,
emerging as an
adult insect.ScutellumDZ small
triangular shield
plate on the thoraxElytronDZ hardened wing
case protecting the
underlying wingsTarsusDZ the last
multi-segmented
part of the leg,
ending in a clawA tree planted in
Los Angeles, California,
USA, to honour
the Beatles guitarist
George Harrison (UK)
was destroyed... by
hungry ladybugs and
bark beetles!ALL
ANIMALSINS
ECTSNom nom nom?!AntennaCompound eye
HeadClawFemurTibiaHornsMouthAbdomen
ThoraxQ: Which type of beetle
was used as a sacred
symbol in ancient Egypt?
A: The scarab beetle