Beetles are insects found in many habitats, from deserts to very cold regions. The beetle group consists of more than 350,000 species, so its morphology varies greatly, as well as their eating habits.
The two main characteristics of these animals are their type of metamorphosis, called holometabole being complete and their first pair of wings called elyros, which harden into a shell. However, in this Animal Expert article, we’ll show you what the beetle eats, what your favorite foods are, and what kind of diet it follows. Read!
Beetles are part of the order of beetles (beetles) but are divided into sub-orders such as:
There are 350,000 beetles catalogued and described by scientists, making beetles the order of the animal kingdom with the highest number of species. However, between 5 and 30 million species are believed to be available.
Although there are thousands of types of beetles, some features are common among them, such as:
Now that you know the main characteristics of this insect, you know what the beetle eats according to its species.
Different types of beetles have a mouthpiece called “chewing”. They are very strong and primitive jaws, typical of insects that eat solid substances. These jaws are adapted for cutting and crushing food and can be used as a defense.
Beetle diets consist of plants, wood, matter and decomposition, amphibians and other insects, depending on the species.
The different habitats where beetles live offer a wide variety of foods, so each species has adapted to certain types of food:
We call rhino beetles or beetle horns all celeoptera that have one or more horns on their heads. These types of beetles are among the largest in the world and measure more than six centimeters in length. This horn is used by males in their struggles to impress females and also to dig tunnels that serve to escape in dangerous situations.
Rhino beetles are herbivorous beetles. They usually feed on leaves and plant matter commonly found in the forest land where they usually live.
This type of beetle may belong to several genera but all are characterized by a very striking metallic green color.
Green beetles are a pest in plantations because they feed on fruit. In addition, they can also take nectar from the flowers. The larvae of these beetles are herbivores and, at this stage, feed on the roots of the plants.
These beetles are coprophage beetles and feed on decaying materials, especially animal faeces, with which they form balls they can carry. They’re very good flying beetles. From the air, thanks to their small specialized antennae, they can capture the smell of manure several kilometers away.
Egyptian beetles or beetles are beetles in the dermestidae family, whose adult specimens and larvae feed on rotting meat. These beetles were used by the Egyptians to remove the flesh remains from the bodies they were going to mummify. There are other beetles that are very present in cadaveric fauna and some of them do not eat meat but larvae of flies that live in the corpse.
If you would like to read articles similar to, we recommend that you visit our Balanced Diets section.