Beetles

insects · armor · super diverse

Champion insects. Beetles make up almost 40% of all described arthropods and 25% of all known animal species, making them the biggest and most successful insect order on the planet.

Hardened armor. Unlike most other insects, beetles have their front pair of wings hardened into tough cases called elytra that protect their delicate flying wings underneath, like a suit of armor.

Still discovering more. Scientists have described about 400,000 beetle species so far, but experts think there could be between 0.9 and 2.1 million species in total, meaning new beetles are being discovered all the time.

Found everywhere. Beetles live on nearly every continent and in almost every habitat, from rainforests and deserts to mountains and even inside caves, making them one of nature's greatest success stories.