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๐Ÿฆ Animal world ๐Ÿž Insects and minibeasts

Beetles

Beetles

๐Ÿ“– In short

Beetles are insects with a hard, shiny case on their backs. They're the group of insects with the most kinds in the world: about 300 thousand! Beetles live almost everywhere: in forests, deserts and fields, and even in cold places and hot springs.

๐Ÿคฉ Did you know?

  • The African goliath beetle is one of the biggest beetles, up to 13 centimeters long.
  • There are about 1900 kinds of fireflies.
  • About one in every 4 kinds of animal in the world is a beetle!
  • Beetles live everywhere except the oceans.

๐Ÿ”Ž Find out more

๐ŸŒŸ Armor on its back

A beetle has two pairs of wings: the front ones are hard like armor and protect its body, and the back ones are thin and folded underneath. To fly, it lifts its armor and spreads its thin wings.

๐Ÿ” Shapes and colors

Some beetles are so tiny you can barely see them, and some are huge. There are red spotted ones like the ladybug, shiny green ones like metal, and some with big horns like the rhinoceros beetle.

๐Ÿ’ก Helpful beetles

Ladybugs eat aphids that harm plants, and dung beetles roll balls of dung and bury them, cleaning the ground and fertilizing the soil.

๐ŸŽฏ Glowing beetles

The firefly is a kind of beetle that makes a lovely light at night, flashing to recognize other fireflies.

๐Ÿ“ธ More pictures

Beetles
Beetles
Beetles

๐Ÿงฉ Test yourself

1 What are a beetle's hard front wings for?

2 Which of these insects is a beetle?

3 The African goliath beetle is one of the biggest beetles, up to ?? centimeters long.

4 Which picture shows โ€œBeetlesโ€?

๐Ÿฆ Discover more

๐Ÿ“ท Picture sources: Wikimedia Commons