Kingdom Animalia, Phylum Arthropoda, Subphylum Hexapoda, Class Insecta
Order Coleoptera From ancient Greek koleos = sheath + pteron = wing
Hardened shield-like forewing (elytra)
complete metamorphosis.
Families 235 (2011), 387,000 described species (2015)
Class Insecta Order Coleoptera Family Apioninae (Brentidae), Cantharidae, Carabidae
Apioninae (Brentidae) In books of a few years ago "Apionidae" were a family. Now, those small insects with a big "nose"are classified as a "subfamily", part of the super family Curculionoidea. They live generally among the leaves, where we have to look well to see them.
Cantharidae Thin and soft beetles, small and medium size. we can find them flying and standing on bushes and flowers
Carabidae Very large and important family, they are predators with strong jaws living in the ground, under the stones, bark, litter, with dark or shiny body, often streaks on the elytra.
Cleridae Soft, coloured, a bit furred. We generally find them on flowers, but most adults are predators.
Cerambycidae They are the "long horn" beetles, for the length of their antennas, with long body and often big size, living on trees of woods. Their big larvae with very small or not legs at all, they are greedy wood chewers.
Class Insecta Order Coleoptera Family Cerambycidae, Cleridae
Class Insecta Order Coleoptera Family Chrysomelidae
It is a large family of beetles, also very different in size and appearance one from another, which generally live associated with certain plants.
Classis Insecta Ordo Coleoptera Family Coccinellidae
Ladybugs are among the cutest insects, loved not only by children, they are said to bring good luck. Adults and larvae are voracious aphid eaters.
Class Insecta Order Coleoptera Family Curculionidae, Elateridae, Endomychidae, Lampyridae, Meloidae
Curculionidae The largest family of animal kingdom! They have long "nose" and "moustaches". If we look closely, we find them everywhere in natural environments
Elateridae Soft, coloured, a bit furred. We generally find them on flowers, but most adults are predators.
Lampyridae Males in flight dot the nights with their lights, even if they are increasingly rare in man-made environments. Many females have a larva-like appearance.
Endomychidae “Handsome fungus beetles”, as the common name suggests, feed on fungi.
Meloidae
Plants lovers - but some species live also on the ground - they defend themselves producing an oily and blistering substance: medicine or poison depending on the quantity.
Class Insecta Order Coleoptera Family Geotrupidae, Lucanidae, Oedemeridae
Geotrupidae
Quite large in size, round, squat, "armoured", these beetles love all kinds of rotting substances, dead plants and animals, poop.
Lucanidae
"Lucus" in Latin means "forest". As they live in deep in the woods. The males of these large beetles have big protruding jaws, which in some species make them look like deer!
Oedemeridae Long, thin, soft, with metallic colours, we find them on flowers. They have typical round "muscles" on their rear legs.
Class Insecta Order Coleoptera Family Scarabeidae
Their larvae look like worms with small legs, and several of their adults are "armoured" in a spectacular way. They love plants, flowers, dead wood and some even poop!
Class Insecta Order Coleoptera Family Pyrochroidae, Staphylinidae, Tenebrionidae
Pyrochroidae
They frequent deciduous woods and log stumps, have a soft and colourful body, enlarged elytra and long antennae.
Staphylinidae Under stones, in litter, decomposing materials, they have a very elongated body and short elytra. Some lift the abdomen like scorpions, and others - marked with the red colour = danger - if crushed, they release a very irritating substance, also dangerous for humans, if it comes into contact with the eyes.
Tenebrionidae Often black, but also coloured depending on species, various in shape and size, they live everywhere, also in human environments, as grain storage areas and cellars.
It is the largest of all orders, 40% of described insects and 25% of all known animal life-forms. Their front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects.
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.JPG "Chrysomelidae")
.JPG "Cleridae")
.JPG "Elateridae")
.jpg "Lampyridae")
.jpg "Scarabaeidae")
.JPG "Tenebrionidae")
.jpg "Rhagonycha fulva")
.jpg "Rhagonycha fulva")
.jpg "Rhagonycha fulva")
.JPG "Amara sp")
 coriaceus (1).JPG "Carabus (Procrustes) coriaceus.")
.JPG "Carabidae. larva")
.jpg "Phymatodes testaceus")
.jpg "Phymatodes testaceus")
.jpg "Piesarthrius brevicornis")
.jpg "Phymatodes testaceus")
.jpg "Phymatodes testaceus")
.JPG "Strangalia maculata")
 herbacea.jpg "Chrysomelidae\Chrysolina (Synerga) herbacea")
.JPG "Chrysomela populi")
.JPG "Ophraella communa")
.JPG "Ophraella communa")
.JPG "Psylliodes affinis")
.JPG "Psylliodes affinis")
.jpg "Lampyris noctiluca, larva")
.JPG "Trypocopris vernalis appenninicus")
.JPG "Trypocopris vernalis appenninicus")
.JPG "Trypocopris vernalis appenninicus")
.JPG "Oedemera nobilis, m")
.JPG "Oedemera nobilis, m")
.JPG "Hoplia argentea")
.JPG "Hoplia argentea")
.JPG "Hoplia argentea")
.jpg "Oryctes nasicornis m")
.jpg "Oryctes nasicornis f")
.jpg "Oryctes nasicornis m")
.jpg "Oryctes nasicornis f")
.jpg "Potosia (Netocia) morio")
.JPG "Protaetia morio")
.jpg "Potosia (Netocia) morio")
.JPG "Protaetia morio")
.jpg "Protaetia brevitarsis")
.jpg "Protaetia brevitarsis")
.jpg "Rhomborhina splendida")
.jpg "Rhomborhina splendida")
.jpg "Phanolinus auratus")
.jpg "Phanolinus auratus")
.JPG "Pimelia bipunctata")
.JPG "Pimelia bipunctata")
