Ladybugs, also called Ladybird Beetles or lady beetles, display striking colors, from red and black to a mosaic of yellows, oranges, and pinks. These colors warn predators that these beetles are not an easy target2.
There are approximately 6,000 species of ladybugs worldwide. North America alone is home to nearly 500 of them.
These hardy insects have adapted to various environments, including cities, suburbs, grasslands, agricultural fields, riverbanks, and forests.
One of their most impressive abilities is their knack for regulating pest populations, particularly aphids. A single beetle can consume up to 5,000 aphids over its lifetime. Interestingly, the larvae of these beetles are also predatory.
However, Ladybird Beetles presents some challenges. For example, the Harlequin Ladybird has disrupted the ecosystem and displaced native species.
Although they do not pose a significant threat to humans, they may bite or release a pungent yellow fluid when threatened.
Dung Beetles have the unique ability to shape dung into balls. These insects live everywhere except Antarctica, with over 5,000 species. This known type of beetle prefers rolling dung balls, either for food or as a nest for their offspring.
Despite their unremarkable appearance, they contribute to soil health and nutrient recycling. They improve soil structure and drainage, indirectly benefiting the health of forests and farmlands.
Dung beetles primarily feed on feces from herbivores and omnivores, providing them with a reliable food source and helping them manage the fly population.
Using dung as food and nesting material leaves fewer opportunities for flies to lay their eggs, reducing the spread of fly-borne diseases.
Some dung beetles can also navigate using the stars, including the Milky Way.
Longhorn beetles have a vibrant mix of colors and signature 'longhorns;’ their antennae are often as long or longer than their body. These elongated beetles look eye-catching and can live in dense forests and agricultural lands.
During the larval stage, longhorn beetles feed on wood and make their homes in dead trees, logs, and stems. This behavior helps break down deadwood and cycle nutrients back into the soil.
However, it also makes these beetles a potential pest, as they can cause significant damage to trees in commercial forests and plantations.
It's worth noting that under this family is the world's largest beetle, the Titan Beetle (Titanus giganteus), a South American resident measuring up to 6.6 inches in length.
Click Beetles belong to a large family of beetles that can launch into the air by clicking. This family has over 10,000 species worldwide sporting shades of brown or shiny black.
Notably, certain members of this family have bright colors and even emit bioluminescence.
As their name implies, Click Beetles can produce a distinct 'click' sound by snapping the first section of their thorax into the second. This sound startles the predator, giving the beetle a chance to escape.
Additionally, if they end up upside down, they can flip back to their original position using the exact mechanism.
Jewel Beetles, also known as metallic wood-boring beetles, live everywhere. They belong to the Buprestidae family, which has more than 15,500 species.
One of their most remarkable features is their hardened forewings, or elytra, which reflect light and produce a stunning variety of colors, such as emerald, sapphire, and gold.
The larvae of this type of beetle feed on the nutrients in tree bark. However, this feeding habit can harm the host tree, causing its decline. However, when they age, adult Jewel Beetles switch to a nectar, pollen, and plant sap diet.
While some view these beetles as pests, they maintain ecological balance by contributing to deadwood decomposition.
You may spot Stag Beetles during summer evenings. This beetle species has antler-like mandibles, which are more prominent in males, resembling those of a stag.
These mandibles play a crucial role in wrestling matches during the mating season against other males.
Stag Beetles thrive in different environments, such as dense woodlands or urban gardens. Their preferred habitat is decaying wood, which serves as food for their larvae.
Likewise, the mother beetle lays eggs in or near rotting wood to provide a food source for her offspring. Adult beetles, on the other hand, consume tree sap and ripe fruit.
The lifespan of a Stag Beetle ranges from one to three years, depending on the species and environmental conditions.
With over 35,000 species, Leaf Beetles are one of the largest families. They come in various sizes, ranging from 0.04 to 0.71 inches, and display vibrant colors such as yellow, green, red, and blue.
This type of beetle uses their bright hues to warn predators about their toxicity. They feed on leaves, many of which are toxic to other creatures, allowing them to absorb and display the toxins externally.
They lay their eggs on leaves, and the hatched larvae feed on them until they're ready to pupate and transform into adults.
However, not all Leaf Beetles are harmless. The Colorado Potato Beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata) and Striped Cucumber Beetle (Acalymma vittatum) are notorious crop destroyers.
Darkling beetles have evolved understated shades of black or brown, which have helped them to survive the moisture-laden rainforest canopy and arid deserts.
They are also known for a unique defensive behavior called "head-standing," which helps them ward off predators.
Moreover, Darkling beetles consume diverse organic matter, including decaying leaves, wood, fungi, seeds, and occasionally other insects. They act as nature's cleanup crew, recycling organic matter into the ecosystem.
Additionally, their larvae, commonly known as mealworms, are a food source for various animals. However, some mealworms have a reputation for damaging grain storage.
The Passalidae family is home to Bess Beetles, found in forests worldwide. With around 500 species, these beetles have a shimmering armor that ranges from dark brown to black; some have a reddish-brown hue.
These robust creatures range in size from 0.8 to 1.7 inches and are a subtle yet beautiful addition to their woodland homes.
Their unique way of communication makes Bess Beetles stand out from other insects. They produce a symphony of sounds through the friction of their wings against their abdomen, known as "stridulation.”
These types of beetles display remarkable biparental care, a behavior uncommon in beetles. Both parents diligently feed their young pre-chewed wood.
A species of the round fungus beetle is scientifically identified as colon rectum Hatch 1933. It is unclear why the poor thing was given this name, but it is funny.
The scientist responsible, Melville H. Hatch, also assigned colon-inspired names to a bunch of round fungus beetles from the Leiodidae family.
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