Some beetles tunnel in wood, and these can kill or damage trees, or damage things we make from wood, like furniture, or even houses! Farmers have to spend lots of money and energy protecting their crops from beetles. Some eat fruits or vegetable or other crops in the field, and others eat them in storage. Dung beetles help get rid of waste, beetles that eat wood help break down dead trees, some beetles feed on pollen and help pollinate flowers.īeetle species are important pests because some of them eat our food. What roles do they have in the ecosystem?īeetles have lots of roles. spiders (when they can bite through the shell).Some, like lady beetles, have toxic chemicals to repel predators. Most beetles hide, and many beetle larvae dig tunnels to hide in. What eats them and how do they avoid being eaten? Sometimes the larvae eat different foods than the adults do. Some eat fungus, and there are a bunch of species that eat dung. Many are predators on other small animals. Most beetles eat plant parts, either leaves or seeds or fruit or wood. Most are specialists in few kinds, but some, like ground beetles, eat lots of things. What do they eat?īeetles eat all kinds of food. "Fireflies' and "lightning bugs' are actually beetles. Some beetles that live in dead wood drum and make vibrations. Some beetle make sounds, usually scraping their mouthparts together or rubbing their legs on their bodies. Males often locate females by their scent. Most beetles communicate with other beetles with chemicals. Often they time their growth and reproduction so all the adults emerge at once, and for a short time you can find lots of a particular species. Most beetles are active at night, but some are active in daylight (especially if they have chemical defense). Some, especially larger ones, live for more than a year, hatching in summer, a few months to a year or more as a larva and pupa, and then emerging to reproduce as an adult. Most beetle species complete their lives in a single year. Some scavenger beetles even feed their babies. Some beetles collect a supply of food for their larvae, and lay the egg in the ball of food. Breeding season Breeding season varies, often in spring or summerĪdult beetles mate, and the female lays eggs on or very near a food source for her larvae.Reproduction is often timed to match the time of most available food. Eventually the pupa transforms into an adult beetle.įemale beetles usually lay dozens or hundreds of eggs. The larva feed and grow, and eventually change into a pupal stage. The eggs hatch into a larval stage that is wingless. These animals are found in the following types of habitatīeetles have four different stages in their life cycle.Most species live on plants, others tunnel or burrow, some swim. Beetles are found on land and in fresh water all over the world.īeetles are found in just about every habitat. There are over 300,000 species known to science, and probably many tens of thousands more still unknown. Beetle pupa can't move and are covered with a leathery skin.īeetles are the most diverse group of insects.
Beetle larvae look sort of like worms, but they have six legs and a hard head. Most adult beetles are brown or black, but some are very brightly colored. Many beetles can fly with their second pair of wings. Adult beetles have modified wings: the first pair of wings is small and very hard, and acts as a protective covering for the second pair of wings. They have chewing mouthparts and often have powerful jaws. Their bodies tend to be very solid and tough. Beetles are like all insects, they have a head, thorax, and abdomen, and six legs.
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