Meet the Cast!

Hello everyone and welcome back to the blog!

Today, we are going to introduce the main character of the blog. Can you guess who it is? Let us drop you a hint – it starts with the letter ‘b’ and ends with ‘-eetle’. That’s right, it is the beetle! Not the Volkswagen Beetle or the famous music band by the way, the beetle that we are adopting is the one with that crawls with six legs. :D

Ladies and gentlemen, meet the superstar, Greg! Greg was found taking his leisure afternoon walk in the bushes at the park. His absolutely stunning figure and charisma had thus, won him the invitation for screen testing as the main character of this blog.

A few other supporting roles of the same species had joined Greg in the play as well. Since this is the introductory post for Greg and his kin, let us learn more about them. 

Beetles are a group of insects which falls under the Coleoptera order. They can be found in all continents and countries. There are over 300,000 species of beetles and they come in different shapes, sizes, and colours. 

Anatomy

Let's explore on some of the important features of Beetles :

(Image source: http://animalcorner.co.uk/beetle-anatomy/)

- Antennae

Used for smell, mating, and self-defence.

Different between various species.

Antennae type:

(Image source: www.kerbtier.de)

A- Filiform

B- Calvate

C- Capitate

D- Serrate

E- Pectinate

F- Geniculate

G- Lamellate 

- Compound eye

Hexagonal lenses on faceted eyes.

- Head

Contains the brain. Eyes, mouth, pharynx, and 2 antennae are attached here.  

Head types:

(Image source: www.kerbtier.de/Pages/Themensiten/enKoerperbau.html#)

- Thorax

Linkage of the front body to legs and wings.

- Elytra

Hard exoskeleton fore-wings to protect the hind-wings.

- Hind wings

Used for flying and swimming. 

Hidden in elytra when not in use.

- Abdomen

This is where the heart lies along with organs for digestive and reproductive system.

- Spiracles

Beetles breathe through them. 

Spiracles open and close efficiently to reduce water loss while allowing air to enters into respiratory systems.

- Legs

Six jointed legs comprise of femur, tibia and tarsus.

Different species have legs according to their habitat.

Leg types:

(Image source: www.kerbtier.de/Pages/Themensiten/enKoerperbau.html#)

- Maxillary palps

Finger-like appendages to move food into the mouth.

- Mandibles

Tooth-like structures that comes in pair to crush food or enemies. 

Natural Habitat of Beetles

The Coleoptera order is a very diverse group. They are able to live in any condition. Beetles are commonly found in trees, shrubs, fresh water areas, shores, alpine zones and even some extreme habitats such as thermal pools and caves.

Life Cycle of A Beetle

(Image source: http://www.keepinginsects.com/beetle/general/)

• There are 4 stages to a beetle’s life cycle – eggs, instar, pupa, and adult. 
• The female beetle usually lays her eggs near a food source. Reproduction is also usually timed to match the time when most food is available. 
• When the eggs hatch, a larva emerges. The larva of a beetle looks like a fat caterpillar, and nothing like an adult beetle.  This larva stage is known as instar. In the instar stage, larvae will continuously eat, move and shed skin. 
• In the final stage of the instar, the beetle will stop eating and moving as it turns into a pupa. 
• In the pupa stage, the body of a larva will transform into an adult beetle!

Beetle Behaviour

Ecology

Picture Sources:

1. http://www.clemson.edu/extension/hgic/graphics/2107/5255081_japbeetles300.jpg

2. http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/fried-suiri-or-beetle-larvae-on-skewers-high-res-stock-photography/88308758

3. http://www.babywolf.com/ladybugs-and-aphids-organic-pest-contro/

4. http://www.topbest.ph/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Michael-Cook.jpg

5. http://www.landofpyramids.org/khepri.htmhttp://media4.s-nbcnews.com/j/streams%5C2012/August/120805%5C333011-at-110822-beetle-fight-01.blocks_desktop_large.jpg

6. http://media4.s-nbcnews.com/j/streams%5C2012/August/120805%5C333011-at-110822-beetle-fight-01.blocks_desktop_large.jpg

7. http://wiki.bugwood.org/uploads/Fig6loos.jpg

8. http://www.eakringbirds.com/eakringbirds2/cassidarubiginosa06.jpg

9. http://m7.i.pbase.com/o4/20/648320/1/114967507.MTYJ7u95.Lepturamaculata.jpg

10. http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/obituaries/articles/2011/04/01/thomas_eisner_81_studied_insects_use_of_chemistry/

11. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a8/Nosoroh.jpg

12. http://web.williams.edu/Biology/explodingflower/images/longhorn.jpg

13. http://www.3bhoneybee.ca/uploads/9/9/0/2/9902137/7977816_orig.jpg

Unique Facts About Beetles

Did you know that:

1. A quarter of the animals on earth are beetles.
Currently, there are more than 300,000 species of beetles known to us and there are many more left to be discovered. The Coleoptera order is the biggest order in the entire animal kingdom. 

2. The size of the beetles ranges dramatically.

Nanosella fungi, the smallest known beetle on earth weighs only about 0.4 mg and it is around 0.25 mm long. On the other hand, the Goliathus goliathus weighs about 100 g, and the Titanus giganteus has an average body length of 20 cm.

3. A few species of beetle can glow in the dark.

Those beetles produce light through a chemical reaction in luminescent spots that are usually found at the posterior (hind end) of the beetle. The reason they emit light is to attract small preys in the form of insect towards them.

4. Beetles are everywhere.

As mentioned earlier, beetle species are very diverse. They can be found living anywhere in this planet Earth!

5. Beetles existed longer than humans.

According to the archaeologists, the first organism that resemble a beetle existed roughly 270 million years ago. It is believed that their ability to adapt in group is the reason that they are not extinct yet.

That's all for this week's post. Thank you, we hope that you enjoy reading this as much as we enjoying writing it. 

Next week, we will get to know more about the role of beetles in the field of research. You will be amazed by how some features of beetles have actually contribute into our daily lives.

Stay tuned!