How do you classify Coleoptera?

Although there are different classifications of Coleoptera, modern systems are based on the four suborders Adephaga, Archostemata, Myxophaga, and Polyphaga.

How many families are there in Coleoptera?

BEETLES (Coleoptera) About 112 families include species that occur in North America. More than 300,000 species of beetles have been described, representing 30–40\% of all known insects.

What is the sister taxon of Coleoptera?

2) and a sister taxon to Phytophaga, which consists of the two highly supported superfamilies Curculionoidea and Chrysomeloidea (Fig. 2).

Which insect belong to Coleoptera?

beetles
coleopteran, (order Coleoptera), any member of the insect order Coleoptera, consisting of the beetles and weevils. It is the largest order of insects, representing about 40 percent of the known insect species.

What are the characteristics of the order Coleoptera?

The head is typically as wide or wider than the pronotum. They have threadlike antennae and long slender legs. These insects are very fast and often difficult to collect. Their agility and strong mandibles make them well-adapted for their predaceous life style.

What type of mouthparts do Coleoptera have?

Adults and most larvae have strong biting mouthparts (mandibles) used to feed on different diets (see above). Some adults have their mandibles at the end of a long rostrum (such as weevils; Curculionidae), while a few species have mandibles but use a long “tongue” to drink nectar from flowers (some Meloidae).

What is the defining characteristic of Coleoptera?

However, the order is typically characterized by a pair of elytra (hardened front wings) and a pair of membranous hind wings. They have chewing mouthparts that may be slightly modified for various functions and undergo complete metamorphosis.

How many species of Diptera are there?

Diptera is a major order of insects, with about 150,000 described species and perhaps more than a quarter of a million species in some 150 families.

Who named flies?

Flies are insects of the order Diptera, the name being derived from the Greek δι- di- “two”, and πτερόν pteron “wing”….Fly.

Fly Temporal range: Middle Triassic – Recent
Class:	Insecta
Superorder:	Panorpida
(unranked):	Antliophora
Order:	Diptera Linnaeus, 1758

Why is Coleoptera the largest order of insects?

Coleoptera (beetles and weevils) is the largest order in the class Insecta. As adults, most beetles have a hard, dense exoskeleton that covers and protects most of their body surface. The front wings, known as elytra, are just as hard as the rest of the exoskeleton.

What is unique about Coleoptera?

Some species do not have hind wings and their elytra are generally fused together. Coleoptera are the only order of insects that have elytra. This adaptation has enabled them to expand into many habitats such as leaf litter, logs and soil, that would otherwise damage the wings of less well protected insect groups.

What type of wings do Coleoptera have?

One distinctive feature of coleopterans is wing structure. Most beetles have two pairs of wings. The front pair, which may be thickened, leathery, or hard and brittle, are called elytra and usually serve only as protective covers. A few beetles have greatly reduced wings.

What are the 4 suborders of Coleoptera?

The order Coleoptera is divided into four suborders: Archostemata, considered the most primitive; Adephaga, named for its carnivorous members; Myxophaga, which are algae-eaters; and Polyphaga, the largest suborder, encompassing 90\% of beetle families, in which species with diverse feeding habits are grouped.

How many species are in the Adephaga family?

The Adephaga includes about a dozen families, with most of the species in the large family of ground beetles Carabidae. All other beetles—150 families and 90\% of the 340,000 species—are classified as Polyphaga.

What is the largest order in Insecta?

Coleoptera (beetles and weevils) is the largest order in the class Insecta. As adults, most beetles have a hard, dense exoskeleton that covers and protects most of their body surface.

How do you pronounce Coleoptera?

Pronunciation: [Co·le·OP·ter·a] Common Name: Beetles / Weevils. Greek Origins of Name: Coleoptera, derived from the Greek words “koleos” meaning sheath and “ptera” meaning wings, refers to the modified front wings which serve as protective covers for the membranous hind wings.