Reticulated Beetles (Cupedidae)

Reticulated beetles sport a rectangular form and somewhat elongated shape, typically measuring 1 to 1.5 inches. 

Their bodies have hardened plates, which display an intricate pattern of ridges and pits, giving them a cross-hatched appearance - a feature for which they are named. 

Cupedidae is a relatively small family with around 30 known species. These beetles generally live under the loose bark of dead trees or logs in forested areas.

Skiff Beetles (Hydroscaphidae)

Skiff Beetles are tiny residents of freshwater habitats, often nestled amidst algae or stones. Distinctively, they span a mere length of 0.04 to 0.08 inches, with less than 30 described species globally. 

Their compact bodies boast a streamlined shape and gleaming texture, a design tailor-made for a life spent skimming beneath the water's surface.

This type of beetle employs a natural form of scuba gear, carrying a reservoir of air beneath their wing cases to stay submerged and out of sight.

Ground Beetles (Carabidae)

Ground beetles are diverse insects, with over 40,000 species found worldwide, including in North America. These creatures have dark-colored bodies that can appear metallic in certain lighting conditions. 

Moreover, they are often difficult to spot during the day as they seek shelter under rocks, logs, and leaf litter. When night comes, they become more active. 

Ground beetles and their larvae feed on smaller invertebrates, like slugs, snails, and caterpillars, which helps keep pests in check.

Apart from their role as predators, ground beetles have unique defense mechanisms to protect themselves from danger3. 

Some species emit a foul odor to deter predators, while others, like the Bombardier Beetle, spray a hot, toxic chemical from their bodies for self-defense. However, these defense mechanisms do not pose any threat to humans.

Tiger Beetles (Cicindelinae)

Tiger Beetles are a diverse group of insects, with approximately 2,600 species worldwide. Their striking and vivid metallic colors and intricate patterns on their bodies set them apart from other beetles.

Interestingly, these types of beetles are named after their hunting style, which resembles a tiger's. They are known for their incredible speed and ability to thrive in sandy beaches, grasslands, high-altitude mountains, and lush rainforests. 

Although beautiful, Tiger Beetles eat small arthropods such as ants, spiders, and caterpillars. They use their strong mandibles to catch their prey, employing a highly effective chase-and-catch strategy.

If you observe Tiger Beetles, you may see them standing on their hind legs. This strategy helps them avoid overheating on hot sand.

Ladybird Beetles (Coccinellidae)

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 (Scarabaeidae)

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 (Cerambycidae)

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 (Elateridae)

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 (Buprestidae)

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.

Weevils (Curculionidae)

Weevils from the Curculionidae family have elongated snouts that are as long as their bodies1. These snouts drill into plants and provide a safe place for female weevils to lay eggs inside the hollowed-out plant tissue.

These beetle families have over 60,000 species distributed worldwide. Despite their size, which is usually below half an inch, they have adapted to occupy various niches in the ecosystem. 

Their food preferences vary among species. Some weevils eat grains, roots, leaves, or seeds, which causes conflict with humans since they attack crops. 

For instance, the Boll Weevil is notorious for damaging cotton crops in the United States. Like the Vine Weevil, other weevils are a menace to vintners and gardeners.

Despite their damaging effects on crops, weevils break down plant material and recycle nutrients into the ecosystem.

Stag Beetles (Lucanidae)

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.

Leaf Beetles, Red (Chrysomelidae)

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 (Tenebrionidae)

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.

Bess Beetles (Passalidae)

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.

Horned dung beetle (Onthophagus Taurus)

Dung beetles feed on animal poop and use it to build their homes. With their powerful hind legs, a dung beetle pushes its dung balls, which can sometimes be as large as apples. Considering that the body size of a dung beetle varies from 0.2 to 1.2 inches, that is some heavyweight.

There are many species of dung beetles. In 2010, the Royal Society Journal B published a study that crowned the horned dung beetle5 as the world's strongest insect. 

The extraordinary strength of this dung beetle species comes from its ability to pull loads up to 1,141 times its own weight. That is like an average human lifting two 18-wheeler trucks.

For more reading, explore more dung beetle facts. And noting that these little creatures aren't exactly the prettiest, you might also like our compilation of the world's ugliest animals, which we love despite their appearances.

Rhinoceros beetle (Dynastinae)

The rhinoceros beetle is also called the elephant beetle, Atlas beetle, or Hercules beetle. Rhino beetles are among the largest species of beetles in the world. They can grow to about 6 inches. Rhinoceros beetles have two horns3, one on the head and the other just below the head.

The rhinoceros beetle can pull objects 30 times their body weight without slowing down. That's the same as an average human carrying a rhino, as if they picked up a piece of paper. 

Some rhino beetles have the strength to carry 850 times their body weight, which helps the rhinoceros beetle claim the title of the world’s second-strongest insect.

Bombardier beetle

Bomb? As in Boom? The Bombardier beetle’s backside contains two separate chemicals. If you or a predator gets to close, the Bombardier beetle releases the chemicals and once they mix a boiling party begins. The corrosive material comes out at temperatures hot enough to burn your skin.

Beetles are the primary pollinators of ancient flowers.

One interesting fact about beetles is that they use a form of pollination known as "mess and soil" pollination. Unlike bees and butterflies, these insects can eat all parts of a plant, from pollen and other floral tissues to even the bark of trees. They even poop within the flowers.

They are the primary pollinators of primitive flowering plants like cycads, magnolias, and water lilies. These plants often have large, bowl-shaped, or cup-shaped flowers that are more open and accessible to beetles than those targeted by bees or butterflies.

Blister Beetles are used to treat warts.

Blister Beetles produce an acrimonious substance known as cantharidin, which holds medical applications as a topical skin irritant for wart removal.

Additionally, it has historically been a prominent ingredient in purported love potions. Moreover, cantharidin has been used as an aphrodisiac and colloquially referred to as a Spanish fly.

The Australian Tiger Beetle is the fastest-running insect.

Did you know that the Cicindela hudsoni, also known as the Australian Tiger Beetle, has been recorded as the fastest insect in the world? Despite its small size, it can run at an average speed of 5.5 mph (9 km/h), equivalent to a relative rate of 171 body lengths per second.

Interestingly, Tiger Beetles use a distinct chasing pattern known as "stop-and-go." They pause in the middle of their pursuit. The reason for this behavior is their poor eyesight. They cannot gather enough photons to form a clear image of their prey if they move too quickly. Therefore, they must stop, look around, and continue their chase.

Reticulated Beetles (Cupedidae)

Reticulated beetles sport a rectangular form and somewhat elongated shape, typically measuring 1 to 1.5 inches. 

Their bodies have hardened plates, which display an intricate pattern of ridges and pits, giving them a cross-hatched appearance - a feature for which they are named. 

Cupedidae is a relatively small family with around 30 known species. These beetles generally live under the loose bark of dead trees or logs in forested areas.

Skiff Beetles (Hydroscaphidae)

Skiff Beetles are tiny residents of freshwater habitats, often nestled amidst algae or stones. Distinctively, they span a mere length of 0.04 to 0.08 inches, with less than 30 described species globally. 

Their compact bodies boast a streamlined shape and gleaming texture, a design tailor-made for a life spent skimming beneath the water's surface.

This type of beetle employs a natural form of scuba gear, carrying a reservoir of air beneath their wing cases to stay submerged and out of sight.

Ground Beetles (Carabidae)

Ground beetles are diverse insects, with over 40,000 species found worldwide, including in North America. These creatures have dark-colored bodies that can appear metallic in certain lighting conditions. 

Moreover, they are often difficult to spot during the day as they seek shelter under rocks, logs, and leaf litter. When night comes, they become more active. 

Ground beetles and their larvae feed on smaller invertebrates, like slugs, snails, and caterpillars, which helps keep pests in check.

Apart from their role as predators, ground beetles have unique defense mechanisms to protect themselves from danger3. 

Some species emit a foul odor to deter predators, while others, like the Bombardier Beetle, spray a hot, toxic chemical from their bodies for self-defense. However, these defense mechanisms do not pose any threat to humans.

Tiger Beetles (Cicindelinae)

Tiger Beetles are a diverse group of insects, with approximately 2,600 species worldwide. Their striking and vivid metallic colors and intricate patterns on their bodies set them apart from other beetles.

Interestingly, these types of beetles are named after their hunting style, which resembles a tiger's. They are known for their incredible speed and ability to thrive in sandy beaches, grasslands, high-altitude mountains, and lush rainforests. 

Although beautiful, Tiger Beetles eat small arthropods such as ants, spiders, and caterpillars. They use their strong mandibles to catch their prey, employing a highly effective chase-and-catch strategy.

If you observe Tiger Beetles, you may see them standing on their hind legs. This strategy helps them avoid overheating on hot sand.