| Photo Information |
Copyright: Melina Viero de Moraes (melinaXIII)
![Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Note Writer [C: 50 W: 0 N: 28]](http://i1.treknature.com/misc/g-n-s.gif) (260) |
| Genre: Animals |
| Medium: Color |
| Date Taken: 2006-12-09 |
| Categories: Insects |
| Exposure: f/5.0, 1/100 seconds |
| More Photo Info: [view] |
| Photo Version: Original Version |
| Date Submitted: 2006-12-09 16:30 |
| Viewed: 1294 |
| Points: 6 |
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| [Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note [Portuguese] |
Beetles are the most diverse group of insects. Their order, Coleoptera (meaning "sheathed wing"), has more described species in it than in any other order in the animal kingdom. Forty percent of all described insect species are beetles (about 350,000 species), and new species are regularly discovered. Estimates put the total number of species, described and undescribed, at between 5 and 8 million. This is why J. B. S. Haldane, a Scottish geneticist, asked what his studies of nature revealed about God, replied, "An inordinate fondness for beetles."
Beetles can be found in almost all habitats, but are not known to occur in the sea or in the polar regions. They impact the ecosystem in several ways. On the one hand, they feed on plants and fungi, break down animal and plant debris, and eat other invertebrates. On the other hand, they are prey of various animals including birds and mammals. Certain species are agricultural pests, such as the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum, the Colorado potato beetle Leptinotarsa decemlineata, or the mungbean beetle Callosobruchus maculatus Fabr, while others are important controls of agricultural pests. For example, lady beetles (family Coccinellidae) consume aphids, scale insects, thrips, and other plant-sucking insects that damage crops.
Reproduction
Beetles may display extremely intricate behaviour when mating. Smell is thought to be important in the location of a mate.
Conflict can play a part in the mating rituals of species such as burying beetles (genus Nicrophorus) where conflicts between males and females rage until only one of each is left, thus ensuring reproduction by the strongest and fittest. Many beetles are territorial and will fiercely defend their small patch of territory from intruding males.
Pairing is generally short but in some cases will last for several hours. During pairing sperm cells are transferred to the female to fertilise the egg |
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