Beetles (Order Coleoptera)

Most people can recognize beetles, even without any training in entomology. But what makes a beetle a beetle? Find out what characteristics place insects in the order Coleoptera, and learn about some unusual beetles.

What could be cooler than bess beetles? Both males and females care for their young. They live together as families. And they make 14 different sounds to communicate with one another.

Carrion beetles may seem gross, but trust me, we all owe a debt of gratitude to these industrious beetles for getting rid of all the dead stuff around us. Carrion beetles feed on, and sometimes bury, decomposing bodies.

Dermestid beetles have a nasty habit of eating museum specimens and preserved insect collections. But their ability to digest keratin also makes them valuable for cleaning bones and skulls for diplay. Learn the habits and traits of dermestid beetles.

Ground beetles hide under rocks and boards by day, and hunt insects and other invertebrates by night. Most are predatory in both the larval and adult stages, making ground beetles true powerhouses among the beneficial insects of the garden.

Fireflies flash their Morse code signals across lawns and fields on warm summer nights. They're easy to recognize from afar, but do you know what they look like up close?

Fireflies, also known as lightning bugs, use light signals to attract mates. A complex chemical reaction in the firefly's light organ produces light energy efficiently.

Fireflies employ some clever trickery to hunt other fireflies, and even to mate. Both males and females mimic the flash patterns of other species.

Fireflies are amazing insects! Learn 10 cool facts about fireflies.

Firefly populations seem to be dwindling worldwide. Scientists attending an international conference on firefly conservation in 2008 shared alarming data. In one area of Thailand, firefly numbers dropped 70 6555008n just 3 years. Ask anyone who's been around a few decades whether they see as many fireflies now as they did when they were kids, and without exception the answer is no.

Fireflies are sensitive to habitat disturbances. Fireflies need meadows and streamsides, not cul-de-sac developments of manicured lawns and well-lit landscapes. But all is not lost! Here are 6 ways you can help fireflies.

Ladybugs, also called ladybirds, are neither bugs nor birds - they're beetles. Gardeners love these familiar dome-shaped beetles, because they are voracious predators of aphids and other plant pests.

Is there a more adorable arthropod than the ladybug? From kindergartners to gardeners, everybody loves them. Here are 10 cool facts about ladybugs.

Learn about the life cycle of ladybugs, and what happens in each stage of life - egg, larva, pupa, and adult.

People often mistake rove beetles for earwigs. These tiny beetles make up the family Staphylinidae, which may be the largest of all beetle families. Learn the habits and traits of rove beetles.

Scarab beetles include the biggest insects in the world, in terms of sheer mass. Scarabs were revered in ancient Egypt as symbols of resurrection. More than just powerhouses, scarab beetles serve important roles in the habitats where they live. The family Scarabaeidae includes dung beetles, June beetles, rhinoceros beetles, chafers, and flower scarabs.

Learn about some of the world's largest insects, the stag beetles.

Japanese beetles first invaded the U.S. in 1916, and quickly became a serious pest of both the home landscape and farms. Controlling this prolific pest costs over $460 million annually. The larval grub form feeds on grasses, and the adult beetles defoliate over 300 species of trees, shrubs, and herbs.

In the eastern U.S., emerald ash borer may be the worst tree pest of all. Since its accidental introduction from Asia in the 1990's, emerald ash borers have killed millions of ash trees. Worse still, this invasive pest is spreading. Make sure you know how to identify it when it reaches your neck of the woods.

The Asian Longhorned Beetle, an invasive pest from China, was discovered in New York and Illinois in the 1990's. So far, the only method of control for Asian Longhorned Beetles requires removing and chipping infested trees, along with potential host trees, in the area where it is discovered. A well-informed public may be our best defense against...

One of our most common lady beetles, the Asian Multicolored Lady Beetle, is actually a native of Asia. Now well-established across North America, this hungry predator devours aphids and other soft-bodied insects in gardens and home landscapes.