Coleoptera belong to a large order of insects made up of thousands of species, all of which may have similar characteristics, but in the same way they are unique species that should not be compared with each other. Learn all about the Coleoptera, which are commonly known as Beetles, just here.
What are Beetles?
Beetles It is the common form of how the Coleoptera are generally named, which are insects belonging to an order with an extremely extensive diversity of species, it is approximated that there are around 375.000 types of these animals, which makes them the most diverse order that exists .
Although the term "beetles” is the best known around the world, the truth is that the most popular beetle species have their own names that may have a slight variation depending on the region.
They can be found anywhere in the world, in almost any habitat, they can even be found in aquatic ecosystems. Based on this, all species have different characteristics that are adapted to the habitats in which they live and the diet they maintain, however, most have similar traits.
Most human beings have a completely wrong idea that all beetles unfavorable for orchards, gardens, crops, and even for human beings, but the truth is completely different, since there is no proof that beetles are a real threat to human health.
Although there are some that can harm the health of plants, most only carry out natural processes that end up being favorable for the vegetation and all the ecosystems in which they operate.
General Characteristics of Beetles
Thanks to the wide variety of beetles that exist, it is normal to see them in different sizes and colors, all with particularities that make them completely unique in their class. Some are extremely well known, others are not even recorded, but that is completely normal considering the variety of species they cover and the habitats in which they are found.
The beetles They are insects that manage to have a complete or complicated metamorphosis, that means that their development takes place in 4 phases, where the first is eggs, then the larvae, pupa and finally they reach imago, which could also be translated as the adult stage.
Most are Flying insects and a very particular characteristic that they possess, are the two pairs of wings that they possess, first there are the front ones that receive the name of elytra, which have gone through a hardening process and fulfill the same function as a shell, since they protect the another pair of wings and the parts that correspond to the thorax.
On the other hand, the second pair of wings are the ones that can make the insect take off, but they need to unfold the first pair of wings for this to happen, and once they land, the back wings stow back into place, Even with all this process, the beetles They are very clumsy when it comes to flying.
It is also important to know that many beetles do not even have wings, or they have them but they are useless to them, since they cannot unfold them because they have the first pair of wings attached to the body, or simply because the second ones are immobile. Despite all this, snails have managed to survive in all the habitats in which they are found.
A very common question that some ask is How many legs does a beetle have?, to which the answer is 6 and they are conditioned to adapt to the environment in which they live, they will develop depending on the species and the ecosystem in which they live, that is why some may have legs that help them climb, while they help others to dig.
Food
It is very normal to wonder what do beetles eat?, because you should know that these insects have a highly developed oral apparatus that is known as a chewer, which can be adapted to the different diets that they eat. beetles they have, which are very varied and only depend on the species that it is.
The beetles they present an extremely varied food chain, here is a list in which you can see how diverse it is:
- Xylophagous: They feed on wood.
- Saprophagous: They eat decomposed remains of plant origin.
- polyphagous: These feed on pollen from flowers.
- Ghouls: They are beetles They consume the carcass of other animals.
- fungivores: As its name indicates, these feed on fungi.
- philophagous: Its diet is based on leaves, and well some of the beetles belonging to this group are classified as pests.
- spermophages: These beetles they feed on seeds.
- Predators: They are hunters and consumers of other animals, mainly insects and snails.
- coprophagous: They feed on the excrement of other animals.
- frugivores: The diet of these beetles is based on fruits.
Reproduction
The beetles they reproduce sexually, that is to say that this occurs through the relationship between a male and a female, although it is rarely the case that a female lays her eggs without the need to be fertilized by a male, although These cases are extremely rare.
When the process occurs between two individuals, the female is the one who attracts the male through her pheromones, to proceed with the act after a slight courtship. It should be noted that this insect is oviparous, so after it is fertilized, the female will look for a place to lay her eggs and will leave them there, but making sure that it is a suitable place for the growth of the larvae.
Depending on the species of beetle Whatever it is, the female can deposit from just a few eggs to thousands of these, and even if the mother abandons them, these are adapted to face predators and survive on the spot, starting with the fact that they are not very showy and could pass unnoticed, but when this does not work, the larvae release a substance that turns out to be toxic to other animals.
Beetle Development
The first process is when the young are born, at this time they are referred to as larvae, and like the beetles adults, the larvae can feed on a wide variety of substances, although it all depends on the species. It is seldom seen that adult beetles are present in the larval development process, since in most cases, the eggs are left to their own devices.
The period of time that elapses from when they are born until the larvae reach sexual maturity is very diverse, for some it may only be a few days, while others may spend years in this process. At the right time, the larvae look for a suitable place to pupate, which is a process in which they enclose themselves (or their habitat) inside a cocoon to take the last steps they need to develop.
When this process comes to an end, then the beetle It will have already completed the entire metamorphosis, it only needs to finish developing its body and find a partner to reproduce, starting again the process of reproduction and development of the beetle.
Habitats
As we mentioned before, beetles can be found in almost any possible habitat, they have even managed to inhabit and function easily in the aquatic environment, for this reason their distribution is impressive, inhabiting almost all areas of the planet earth.
Beetles and the Human Being
In ancient times, the Egyptian culture revered these insects, more specifically the species of beetles players, who even today are well known for forming a ball of excrement and rolling everywhere they go, which is why the Egyptians took the sun god called Ra and personified it in this small insect next to his ball , which symbolized the sun.
For this reason it is very common to see illustrations of a beetle with a circle on its head, which represents this well-known insect and its course through the earth rolling its most valuable object. The reproduction of the ballerina species was also symbolic in ancient civilizations, since the mother hides her eggs in the ball of excrement so that they develop and hatch, so this represented rebirth.
Some species of beetles were used in the field of traditional medicine, being part of concoctions and remedies that to date have been proven to be unsuccessful, however, many people in the Asian region still use them.
The beetles They are also included in the diet of many natives of Asian and African origin (in other regions it is also seen but it is not usually very common), who use different cooking techniques to consume them, which can vary greatly depending on the taste of each person.
The great beauty and exotic colors that these species possess have made them part of many pieces of jewelry in many regions around the world, from real jewelry to homemade crafts, it has even been used as inspiration for the manufacture of some models of auto, without a doubt, beetles have been part of the entire history of mankind.
Beetles as Pests
Most of the types of beetles they are completely harmless and do not cause any damage to human or other species, however, some of the insects that have been classified as pests for humans belong to this order of species.
For this specific reason, it is that most people have taken a certain repulsion to all species of beetles, although the harmful species only make up a small part of the overall order.
However, it should be noted that although the harmful beetles are few species, the reality is that they are truly harmful to human activities, such as in the lumber industry, where some beetles (insects that eat wood), make nests in trees and render the wood completely useless for their production.
There are also the beetles that feed on plants, fruits and vegetables, this added to the speed with which they reproduce, causes them to be extremely harmful to crops and crops, since they harm the complete nutrition of rural families and represent a great loss for production agricultural.
These species become so harmful that we can even find beetles at home, which turn out to be the pests that are included in some processed food products, such as flour or grains. Among the most harmful species of beetles, we have the following:
- dermestid: It should be noted that in this classification not all are classified as plants. These beetles are generally very small and are considered one of the worst pests, since they can be found in homes feeding on very common household products, especially clothing and carpets, although this only occurs when they are in their larval stage.
- Weevils: In this classification, we include species that are truly harmful to food products and crops of any kind, they can affect crops, crops, and even food of plant origin that is found in the home.
- Chrysomelids: These produce a damage very similar to that of the beetle above, but perhaps in larger proportions and to these we add that they are harmful at any stage in which they are, whether in larvae or in their adult phase, which is why the damage they cause to crops and production agriculture is exorbitant.
- Woodworm: These insects are so harmful because their diet is based on wood, that being in their natural habitat this would not be a problem, but when they are involved in the activities of the wood industry, then they end up complicating the situation, since they could represent a huge loss in production or would be included in some product or home furniture, which would end up being destroyed by themselves. It should be noted that these beetles they are harmful only if they are in their larval stage.
Importance of Beetles
It is important to note that not everything is bad with these species, since as we mentioned before, most of these species are totally harmless and only a small part is harmful, and there are even some that carry out processes that are extremely beneficial for nature and the ecosystems in which they develop, in this way are also beneficial for human beings.
One aspect in which these species are very important is in the reuse of the nutrients that the planet provides us, since many beetles They feed on the remains that remain from the decomposition of some organisms, whether they are of animal or vegetable origin, so they take advantage of the material that many discard because it is not useful, but for some beetles it is.
In order for the organic products of the earth to be used by plants, they need to go through a decomposition process in which these species are participants, that is why they are such important insects for the nutrients of the earth, on which the entire plant feeds. vegetation and other species of organisms.
On the other hand, the presence of some species of beetles on cattle ranches it is of the utmost importance, thanks to the fact that these small insects are largely responsible for the excretion of the animals, which leads to the manure degrading faster and more easily on the ground, preventing there from being a great accumulation of flies and that parasites are generated in the animals by the contaminated space.
Another important process in which these species participate is in pollination, which would be an interaction between plant and insect with a very beneficial result for both parties.
When beetles They perch on the flowers, they do it for different reasons, among them is to feed, rest, reproduce, among others, when they move away the pollen that is stuck to their bodies detaches and becomes part of other plants, so they end up benefiting all the species involved, whether they are plants or animals.
Threats
These insects are constantly threatened by other animals, especially birds such as the Horner and benteveo, but this fact is extremely normal and is part of nature, however, the beetles They suffer daily from the problems that are caused by the human race, where man tries to solve the matter and benefit without taking into account the large number of species that are threatened by these acts.
It is well known that the human being causes many problems in the course of his interaction with the environment, in this the insects of this order are also highly affected, since pesticides heavily contaminate the spaces in which these species develop and make them uninhabitable, affecting the balance in the interaction that nature maintains with the beetles.
Variety of Species
We already know that this order of insects is extremely extensive, where each species has completely unique characteristics that should not be compared with the other types, due to this it is not possible that we mention them all, however, below we offer you a list that contains to the beetles most interesting and known:
- coccinellids: They correspond to being the famous ladybugs or coquitos, the latter are two of the many names with which people refer to them in many regions of the world. These are very small in size, have very bright and striking colors with which they manage to avoid being eaten by predators, in addition to feeding on pests, so their interaction with the environment is of the utmost importance.
- Lampirids: These are the famous fireflies, known for generating trails of light that usually last less than 10 seconds, they generally live in forests and jungles. An interesting aspect that not many know is that flashes occur in the midst of courtship between females and males of the same species, and also during the reproduction process.
- Lucanids: The beetles belonging to this family are extremely attractive to the human eye, there are even fans who trade with this type of species, all because they have physical characteristics that are very unique among beetles.
- staphylinids: In this classification are included many species of beetles, which are approximately 63.000 and all have very similar structural characteristics, such as the fact that their body is elongated and they have slightly short front wings, so that part of their body is exposed. A very interesting fact is that staphylinids have great agility for flight, something that is not very common with beetles.
- elatherids: These beetles They have a very characteristic feature that is directly related to their interesting defense system, which is based on a system that allows the insect to be raised to great heights, which allows them to flee very quickly from their predator, although it should be noted that this mechanism is also very useful in other situations.
- Dithyscids: Dithiscids are part of one of several families of beetles aquatic, their body is very well adapted to marine life, so they have several features that help them swim, although this does not mean that they cannot fly, since they also do this activity very well. Despite all these adapted characteristics, these species need oxygen from the surface to survive, so from time to time they come out of the water and retain the air in their hardened wings.
- cerambycids: In these species, you can find beetles They have an incredible size, the largest reaching even 17 centimeters from end to end, although much of the size is due to their long antennae, which can often exceed the length of the body.
- Carabids: There is no specific number of specimens for this species, the number may even exceed 25.000, but this information is not entirely true. This type of beetles It inhabits soils all its life and in all phases of its development, they have very varied colors that in some cases can go unnoticed, while in others it usually attracts a lot of attention.
