4 This great diving beetle is hunting for a tadpole to eat
CONTENTS What are Beetles A Way of Life 6 8 10 By Design 12 14 16 18 Born this Way Come to Light Making a Meal of Things Dress for Success 20 You Can’t Run but You Can Hide 22 24 26 28 29 A Form of Self Defence Spot On Weird and Wonderful Little and Large To Scale 30 And the Award Goes to 32 34 36 Beetle Mythology Conservation Index
WHAT ARE BEETLES Beetles are a group of insects They have six legs three body segments and two feelers sticking out of their heads Beetles are different from most other insects as their forewings form a hard or leathery protective case over their backs Somebody who studies beetles is known as a coleopterist Due to the vast number of beetle types not all of them have been given common and easy to pronounce names so coleopterists use the Latin terms for them instead Male Goliath beetle Female Goliath beetle Home Sweet Home Beetles can be found on every continent except Antarctica They live in forests grasslands deserts beaches mountaintops and around fresh water Some even live in our homes
Nom Nom Together different beetle species eat every part of a plant from the leaves right down to the roots Some prefer to hunt other creatures or feed on the remains of dead animals Beetles may eat pollen pinecones worms wool other insects including caterpillars and beetles frogs fruit cereal dog biscuits and even poop Yep you read that right poop The varied diet of beetles So now that you know the basics let’s pick up our magnifying glasses and delve into the wonders of the undergrowth Are you ready to go Bonkers About Beetles
