Beetles are insects that form the order Coleoptera, in the superorder Holometabola. Their front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. The Coleoptera, with about 400,000 described species, is the largest of all orders, constituting almost 40% of described insects and 25% of all known animal species; new species are discovered frequently, with estimates suggesting that there are between 0.9 and 2.1 million total species. Found in almost every habitat except the sea and the polar regions, they interact with their ecosystems in several ways: beetles often feed on plants and fungi, break down animal and plant debris, and eat other invertebrates. Some species are serious agricultural pests, such as the Colorado potato beetle, while others such as Coccinellidae eat aphids, scale insects, thrips, and other plant-sucking insects that damage crops. Some others also have unique characteristics, such as the common eastern firefly, which uses a light-emitting organ for mating and communication purposes
Coleoptera at the Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde Karlsruhe, Germany
Titan beetle, Titanus giganteus, a tropical longhorn, is one of the largest and heaviest insects in the world.
Scydosella musawasensis, the smallest known beetle: scale bar (right) is 50 μm.
Hercules beetle, Dynastes hercules ecuatorianus, the longest of all beetles.
Insects are hexapod invertebrates of the class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body, three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and a pair of antennae. Insects are the most diverse group of animals, with more than a million described species; they represent more than half of all animal species.
Insect
Insect: Six legs, three-part body (head, thorax, abdomen), up to two pairs of wings
Spider: eight legs, two-part body
Woodlouse: seven pairs of legs, seven body segments (plus head and tail)