Endopterygota
Guides
Coleoptera
beetles
Coleoptera, commonly known as beetles, is the largest order of insects and the most diverse order of organisms on Earth, comprising approximately 400,000 described species. Members are distinguished by their hardened forewings, called elytra, which form a protective shell over the membranous hindwings and abdomen. This order includes about 40% of all described insect species and 25% of all known animal life-forms. Beetles occupy virtually every terrestrial and freshwater habitat, with species ranging from minute (under 1 mm) to large (over 100 mm). The order is divided into four suborders: Archostemata, Adephaga, Myxophaga, and Polyphaga, with Polyphaga containing the vast majority of species.