Beetles are classified into groups of insects that have hard exoskeletons, wings, and most species have pincers or mandibles on their front. Lower classifications of beetles are categorized by their ability to fly, colors, long antennae, swimming ability, and head shape.
What kind of beetles have large pincers?
When most people think about beetles with large pincers, though, the first one that comes to mind is probably the stag beetle. However, the largest beetle in terms of weight is the African Goliath beetle, but it’s not known for having large pincers like the other species on this list.
What are the pincers on a stag beetle used for?
The most distinctive feature of the stag beetle is its long antler-like pincers which protrude from the head of the stag beetle. The pincers of the male stag beetle are often considerably larger than those of the female are primarily used for holding onto prey.
What is the difference between Bugs and beetles?
Unlike bugs (order Hemiptera ), beetles chew their food and feed on a range of plant and animal materials. Beetles are classified into groups of insects that have hard exoskeletons, wings, and most species have pincers or mandibles on their front.
What are the 5 most common types of beetles?
Common Beetles: Identification and Guide (With Photos) 1 Beetles Discussed in This Guide. Stag beetles. Hercules beetle. Grapevine beetle. Ten-lined June beetle. Japanese beetle. Ground beetles. Tiger ... 2 Stag Beetles. 3 Stag Beetles, Family Lucanidae. 4 Hercules Beetles. 5 Hercules Beetles, Genus Dynastes. More items
What kind of beetle has pincers?
Stag beetlesStag beetles are known for their large mandibles, or “pincers,” which resemble the horns of a stag deer and give the insect its popular name. Stag beetles are known for their large mandibles, or “pincers,” which resemble the horns of a stag deer and give the insect its popular name.
Why do stag beetles have pincers?
Why do stag beetles have pincers? The pincers are actually overgrown mandibles (emerging from the bones of the lower jaw). They have evolved to help the male defeat rivals in the fight over mates during the reproductive season. The females have much smaller mandibles.
Can a stag beetle hurt you?
Insects with extremely long mouthparts typically can't generate enough force to bite down hard due to simple mechanics. However, stag beetles compensate for this lack of force with many powerful chewing muscles. Both males and females can deliver surprisingly painful bites.
Do Ground beetles have pincers?
Ground beetles have four distinct life stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. The larvae lack wings and have large pincer-like mandibles to devour other soil-dwelling organisms.
Do stag beetles pinch you?
If handled carelessly, their pinch can draw blood from a person. In some cases, however, the mandibles are large enough to be a handicap to the beetle's movement. Most stag beetles are robust and black or brown. However, a few are brightly coloured.
Are cockroaches beetles?
Are Cockroaches and Beetles the Same Thing? Beetles and cockroaches can look similar, but they are different types of insects. They may look similar at first glance, but cockroaches and beetles are in fact different bugs. Not only are they different species; they're actually different Orders of insects.
What happens if a black beetle bites you?
When the bite happens, the beetle releases a chemical substance that can cause the skin to blister. The blister usually heals within a few days and causes no permanent damage.
Are beetles aggressive?
Are ground beetles dangerous? Ground beetles are not considered to be dangerous to humans; they are not known to spread any diseases and while they can bite, they rarely do. They are most often found outside feeding on insects but can become a nuisance to homeowners if they make their way inside in large numbers.
What happens if you get bitten by a beetle?
A beetle bite can be painful, causing swelling or a blister in the area it bit. Beetles usually feed on plants and they vary in color from yellow to gray. Some beetles that bite are long-horned beetles whose bite can cause temporary swelling for 3-48 hours accompanied by blisters and pain.
What are the black beetles in my house?
Black carpet beetles are common in the northeastern United States. Like other carpet beetle species, they feed on leather, silk, wool, feathers and hair. Black carpet beetles may also consume dried meat, plants and dead insects. This carpet beetle species can infest kitchen cabinets and clothing storage areas.
What do beetles use their mandibles for?
The size and shape of the mandibles may make them ideal for wrestling, allowing the beetle to pick up rivals.
Why are they called stag beetles?
The English name is derived from the large and distinctive mandibles found on the males of most species, which resemble the antlers of stags.
What beetles are good flyers?
There are two common species in this group that look very different. Most Silphidae beetle are good flyers and sometimes come to lights.
How big are cucumber beetles?
Size: Small beetles, about a half-inch in length. Habitat: Your garden, and anywhere else there are cucumber plants. Range: Throughout the world. Notes: Two closely related species, the spotted cucumber beetle, Diabrotica undecimpunctata, and the banded cucumber beetle, Diabrotica balteata, are more common in Florida.
What do water beetles eat?
There are many beetles that spend most or all of their time in the water, including some large predatory beetles that feed on small fish, among other things. Most people seldom encounter these insects, but one kind of "water beetle" is familiar to almost everyone who has spent time outdoors: whirligigs. These small, dark-colored beetles spend most of their time floating in large colonies on the surface of pond and other still water. When you, or any other being, disturbs them, they respond by frantically zig-zagging through the water, zooming in tight circles and creating real chaos. Of course this helps confuse predators. They are also very hard to hold; if you are quick enough to grab one of these insects (unlikely), it will quickly slip through your fingers thanks to its flat, slick surface and powerful, oar-like legs.
What is Emerald Ash Borer?
Even though it is truly beautiful -- it belongs to a group of beetles also known as "jewel beetles" -- the emerald ash borer has shown how destructive and invasive species can be in a new environment with no predators in place to control it. If you live anywhere in the eastern part of the country, you are likely familiar with the death and removal of the beautiful ash trees that are a mainstay of urban greenery. For this you can thank the humans responsible for the careless importation of this little beetle.
What is the most common beetle in the world?
Weevils, Superfamily Curculionoidea. Weevils are generally small, harmless beetles with a pronounced nose or "snout.". They are the most common kind of beetle in the world, and since there are more beetles than any other kind of animal on earth, that makes weevils the most successful animal out there.
What is a stag beetle?
Stag Beetles, Family Lucanidae. Stag beetles are often very spectacular insects with huge mandibles, or "pincers," which give the insect its common name -- the mandibles on some look like the horns of a stag deer. Stag beetles are shiny brown or black, usually quite large, and have pronounced mandibles that are smaller in the females.
How many species of beetles are there in the world?
Virtually everyone is familiar with these charming insects, which are of course not flies at all, but a kind of beetle with over 2,000 different species around the world. In the US, there are a number of species with very different habits, including one in which the females mimic the flashing call of the females of another species, luring the males; when the poor suitor comes calling, he is promptly dismembered and eaten. Like I said, charming.
Earwigs: What are They?
If you’re noticing bugs that are 1/4” to 1” in length with long antennae, dark brown to black midsections, and big pincers on the ends of their bodies, you’re dealing with earwigs. Their name sounds creepy, and indeed, it comes from unsettling origins.
How to Get Rid of Earwigs
You might have earwigs without even knowing that they’re around. Earwigs are especially attracted to homes with gardens or lots of vegetation, so you might find jagged and holey leaves all over your yard along with small, black pellets of earwig excrement.
Are Your Earwigs Getting Out of Hand?
If you are dealing with excessive earwigs around your home in Eastern TN, reach out to your local pest control company. Our technicians at Johnson Pest Control can help you identify the source of your infestation and put a plan in place to bring it to a swift stop. For more information on our services or a free quote, contact us today!
What are some interesting facts about stag beetles?
3 Incredible Stag Beetle Facts! 1 The giant mandibles for which this species is known have nothing to do with feeding. Instead, they allow the males to wrestle each other for access to females. The larger and stronger male usually emerges as the victor from the contest. 2 After copulating with her partner, the female will often return to the place of her birth and lay around 30 eggs near rotting wood in the soil. The larvae emerge shortly later and spend a few years in grub form, feeding on the rotting wood. It undergoes a few different larval stages before becoming an adult. The total lifespan between larva and adult can sometimes reach up to seven years. 3 The oldest known fossil of this insect dates back to the Middle Jurassic Period, approximately 150 to 160 million years ago. The form they were found in is known as a compression fossil, literally imprinted into sedimentary rock. Better-preserved fossils, dating back around 20 to 30 million years from the modern day Dominican Republic, were later found encased in amber.
Why are stag beetles declining?
Their numbers appear to be declining in some parts of their range due to the loss of habitats and food sources.
How to get rid of stag beetles?
Nevertheless, if you don’t want stag beetles lurking around your home, then the best way to get rid of them is to remove any remnants of rotting wood from your property. They are most likely to be found around rotting fences. Chemical use is generally not recommended, because it might cause more problems than it solves. Since population numbers have declined in many parts of their range (particularly Europe ), it’s a good idea to just let them alone unless it’s absolutely necessary to remove them. Some people even deliberately encourage stag beetles by planting decaying wood on their property.
What are stag beetles adapted for?
Stag Beetles have systems that are adapted for the consumption of wood.
What animals eat stag beetles?
Despite their protective body armour, stag beetles are preyed up by a wide variety of animals throughout Europe. Bats, birds, rats and other rodents are the main predators of the stag beetle along with cats and dogs, and other larger mammals such as foxes.
How many legs does a stag beetle have?
Like all insects, the stag beetle has six legs.
What are the colors of stag beetles?
An adult is characterized by a wide segmented body and two pairs of wings. It is usually colored black or brown, but a select few species exhibit all manner of bright colors such as metallic green and iridescent red. The rainbow stag beetle has an entire range of bright rainbow colors. Adults normally grow 1 or 2 inches in length, but the largest species in the world, the giraffe stag beetle of southern Asia, measures about 5 inches long, much of which is just the massive mandibles. Males are obviously larger than females, again because of the mandibles. The larvae, by contrast, have a more grub-like appearance with an orange head. Measuring around 3 inches long, they’re generally larger than the adults, even without the giant mandibles.
What are beetles mainly?
Beetle genera were mainly saprophages ( detritivores) in the Permian and Triassic. During the Jurassic, herbivorous and then carnivorous genera became more common. In the Cenozoic, genera at all three trophic levels became far more numerous.
How do beetles defend themselves?
Large ground-dwelling beetles such as Carabidae, the rhinoceros beetle and the longhorn beetles defend themselves using strong mandibles, or heavily sclerotised (armored) spines or horns to deter or fight off predators. Many species of weevil that feed out in the open on leaves of plants react to attack by employing a drop-off reflex. Some combine it with thanatosis, in which they close up their appendages and "play dead". The click beetles ( Elateridae) can suddenly catapult themselves out of danger by releasing the energy stored by a click mechanism, which consists of a stout spine on the prosternum and a matching groove in the mesosternum. Some species startle an attacker by producing sounds through a process known as stridulation.
What was the diversity of beetles during the Jurassic period?
During the Jurassic ( 210 to 145 mya ), there was a dramatic increase in the diversity of beetle families, including the development and growth of carnivorous and herbivorous species . The Chrysomeloidea diversified around the same time, feeding on a wide array of plant hosts from cycads and conifers to angiosperms.
How many beetles did Wallace collect?
Beetle collecting became extremely popular in the Victorian era. The naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace collected (by his own count) a total of 83,200 beetles during the eight years described in his 1869 book The Malay Archipelago, including 2,000 species new to science.
What is the smallest free living insect?
The smallest recorded beetle and the smallest free-living insect (as of 2015. [update] ), is the featherwing beetle Scydosella musawasensis which may measure as little as 325 μm in length. Titan beetle, Titanus giganteus, a tropical longhorn, is one of the largest and heaviest insects in the world.
How many ganglia are in a beetle?
The nervous system in beetles contains all the types found in insects, varying between different species, from three thoracic and seven or eight abdominal ganglia which can be distinguished to that in which all the thoracic and abdominal ganglia are fused to form a composite structure.
What is the heaviest beetle in the forest?
The heaviest beetle, indeed the heaviest insect stage, is the larva of the goliath beetle, Goliathus goliatus, which can attain a mass of at least 115 g (4.1 oz) and a length of 11.5 cm (4.5 in).
Why is it so hard to identify the species of beetles?
Because the list of beetle types is extremely long, it can be challenging to identify the exact beetle species.
How to tell what type of beetle you have?
Identifying beetles by their color, body shape, and other features can help to know which type of beetle you have. All types of beetle are anthropoids (phylum Arthropoda) that belong to the order Coleoptera. There are over 400,000 species of beetles that are divided into families and subgroups.
What is a figeater beetle?
The figeater beetle ( Cotinis mutabilis) is a green-colored beetle that is commonly found in yards, compost heaps, and mulch. Belonging to the beetle family Scarabaeidae, “fig” beetles have a semi-glossy green shell with orange-colored edges. Turning the beetles over, you will notice striking metallic green belly and legs.
What is the smallest insect in the world?
The smallest species of beetle is also the smallest insect in the world. The Scydosella musawasensis beetle is less than 1 mm long! The largest beetle, the Titan beetle can grow to nearly 7” (17 cm)! However, the average size of most beetles is under 1” (2.5 cm) long.
How many species of weevil beetles are there?
Species of weevil beetles belong to the lower group of beetles called Curculionidae which is the largest of the beetle families. There are over 83,000 species of weevil beetles. This particular species is small and has brownish or orange-colored legs and antennae of the same color.
What are some insects that can destroy plants?
Animals. Beetles are some of the most fascinating types of insects that you will come across. Many types of beetles are harmless and can be beneficial for gardens or backyards. However, there are also some beetle species that can destroy plants or vegetation.
What do you notice when you turn over a beetle?
Turning the beetles over, you will notice striking metallic green belly and legs. Figeaters are the most widespread beetle in their subgroup. These are also a species of flying beetle and can make a lot of noise flying through the air. Due to their beautiful iridescent colors, they are also classed as jewel beetles.
What does a beetle look like?
The beetle has a humpbacked body that is in the shape of a tear. Some say that this large red and black beetle looks like a tiny armadillo. As with other blister beetles, this species has a small head in relation to its hard-shelled body. The shiny black body has red bands or stripes wrapping around it.
What do the stripes on a beetle make?
Its black and white stripes make this tiny beetle stand out against green vegetation.
What is the name of the beetle that has a black body?
American oil beetles belong to the beetle family Meloidae and belong to the genus Meloe. These are a large beetle species that have an iridescent shiny black body that is massive in relation to its head and thorax.
What is the name of the beetle with white stripes?
Pigweed Flea Beetle. The small Pigweed Flea Beetle has white stripes on its black body. One of the more unusually-colored black beetles is the pigweed flea beetle ( Disonycha glabrata ). This striped beetle from the family Chrysomelidae has a black body with white stripes running down its length.
How many species of black beetles are there?
All species of black beetle that inhabit homes are anthropoids in the insect order Coleoptera. There are thought to be over 400,000 species of beetles with weevils making up the largest of the beetle families. Groups of beetles are divided into families, genera, and then species.
What is the scientific name for black carpet beetles?
Attagenus unicolor is the scientific name for the black carpet beetle. These tiny black beetle bugs belong to the family Dermestidae and their larvae can be a true household pest. These tiny carpet beetles start out their adult life as white beetles. As they mature, these “bugs” gradually become dark and black.
What is a hermit flower beetle?
Hermit flower beetles ( Osmoderma eremicola) are a type of scarab beetle that has a shiny jet-black fat oval body. These hermit beetles are solitary insects that are among the larger species of beetle.
What are Pincher Bugs?
Pincher bugs, also known as earwigs, are the only members of the insect order Dermaptera – primeval pests that began crawling on the planet’s face around 208 million years ago. In the present day, nearly 2,000 species are sprinkled far and wide, but in the polar regions of the Earth. These bugs were once thought to reside in human ears, and that’s how they got their name “ earwig .” In Germany, they are known by the name of “ earworms ” and called “ ear piercers ” in France.
Where do pincher bugs live?
Also called as earwigs, pincher bugs are most commonly found in southern climates, although they live throughout the United States. They are small, weird-looking insects that are a ¾ inch in length with a reddish-brown color. Their tail bears a resemblance to forceps, pinchers that expand from the abdomen and they have two pairs of wings that look like leather, with the hind wings that are folded under the ones in the front.
Why are pincers deadly?
Due to their forceps size, it might seem that these bugs feed on giant insects like cockroaches. These forceps or pincers are developed properly and appear to be deadly weapons used for hunting. Moreover, they might appear to be lethal when struggling with humans.
Why do pincher bugs scare people?
However, it is a known fact that pincher bugs scare a lot of people because of the pincers located on the back of their abdomen. These pincers are used to protect themselves and for sparing with enemy earwigs.
Why do pincher bugs dig into people's ears?
Some species produce a stinking liquid that these creatures use for defending themselves. Also, they create a pheromone (fragrance). According to scientists, this pheromone is the reason why pincher bugs gather in high numbers. There is a false notion that these critters dig into people’s ears while they are asleep.
Is a pincher bug dangerous?
Pincher bugs might appear to be a dangerous pest, due to their frightening forceps or pincers that protrude from their abdomen. But, this statement does not hold the right thing. A lot of people are under this misconception. If agitated, these bugs can use pincers to grasp onto one’s finger, but they don’t sting at all, nor are they harmful to humans.
Do pincher bugs like light?
There are some species of earwigs that are attracted to lights. In the daytime, pincher bugs look for shelter under the organic matter, including leaf litter, pine straw, debris, and mulch. With a preference for dark areas like stones and under sidewalks, these pesky creatures can cause extensive damage to field crops.
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