Coleoptera
- The Beetles
This is the largest order of insects and contains about 75%
of the known species in the Phylum Arthropoda. There are about 28,600 species
reported in North America.
One
of the most distinctive characteristics of the Coleoptera are the wings. Most
beetles have four wings, with the front pair thickened, leathery or hard and
brittle. They usually meet in a straight line down the back of the body and
cover the hind wings. These front wings are called elytra. They serve
as a protective covering and are not used for flight. The hind wings are membranous,
usually longer than the front wings and are folded at rest beneath the front
wings.
