Insects whose front wings are hardened into wing-cases. With about 400,000 described species, beetles are the largest order of insects, found in almost every habitat except the sea and the polar regions.
Quick answers
What is it?Insect
Carnivore?Omnivore
Dangerous?No
Domesticated?No
Awake when?Day & night
Hibernates?Yes
About 90% of beetle species go through a dormant stage as adults, and in winter this is a form of hibernation.
Kept as a pet?Sometimes
Some are kept as pets, such as diving beetles in a home freshwater tank.
Do people eat it?In places
Over 300 species are eaten, mostly as larvae, such as mealworms and rhinoceros beetle grubs.
At a glance
Found inWorldwide
HabitatForest, Grassland, Farmland, Rivers & lakes, Desert
ColoursBlack, Brown, Green
SizeTiny
Legs6
Covered inExoskeleton
Lives alone
Lives for1–3 years
Can fly
Lays eggs
In the wild
- Where it lives
- Almost every habitat worldwide, except the sea and the polar regions.
- What it eats
- Varies: plants, fungi, decaying matter and other invertebrates. Ladybirds eat aphids.
Did you know
One in every four known animal species is a beetle.
Estimates of the true number of beetle species run from 0.9 to 2.1 million.
Often confused with
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