What do beetle eat?

Author: Peter Berry
Date Of Creation: 17 February 2021
Update Date: 1 December 2024
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WHAT DO BEETLES EAT: The Vast and Fascinating Beetle Diet and How that Came to Be.
Video: WHAT DO BEETLES EAT: The Vast and Fascinating Beetle Diet and How that Came to Be.

Content

You beetles are insects that can be found in many habitats, from deserts to very cold areas. The group of beetles is formed by more than 350,000 species, so their morphology varies a lot, as well as their eating habits.

The two main characteristics of these animals are their type of metamorphosis, called holometabola because it is complete and their first pair of wings called elytra, which are hardened into a carapace. However, in this article by PeritoAnimal we will show you what the beetle eats, what are their favorite foods and what kind of diet do they follow. Keep reading!

How many species of beetles are there?

Beetles are part of the order of Coleoptera (Coleoptera) but are divided into suborders such as:


  • Adefaga;
  • Archostemata;
  • Myxophaga;
  • Polyphage.

There are 350,000 beetles cataloged and described by scientists, making the beetles the order of the animal kingdom with the greatest number of species. However, it is believed that there are about 5 to 30 million species.

Beetle characteristics

Although there are thousands of types of beetles, there are some features that are common among them, such as:

  • The body can be divided into head, chest and abdomen;
  • Some species have wings but cannot fly very high;
  • They have large mouthparts with the function of chewing;
  • They undergo metamorphosis;
  • The eyes of these animals are sensory organs;
  • Have antennas;
  • They reproduce in a sexual way.

Now that you know the main characteristics of this insect, know what beetle eats according to its species.


beetles feeding

The different types of beetles have a mouthpiece called "chewder". They are very strong and primitive jaws, typical of insects that eat solid substances. These jaws are adapted to cut and crush food and can also serve as a defense.

What do beetle eat?

THE beetles feeding consists of plants, wood, matter and decay, amphibians and other insects, according to species.

The different habitats where the beetles live offer a wide variety of foods, so each species has adapted to certain types of food:

  • plants: most beetles are herbivorous animals, feeding exclusively on plants. They can eat roots, leaves, seeds, nectar, fruits, etc. Many of these animals are often a problem in crops, becoming pests.
  • wood: Many species of beetles feed on wood. These animals can do a lot of damage to living trees, but they can also attack furniture in a house. Two examples of wood-eating beetles are the long-horned beetle (Anoplophora glabripennis) and the brown lyctus beetle (Lyctus brunneus).
  • decaying matter: many beetles are carrion animals, as they feed on decaying matter to survive. Some eat decaying plant matter, such as dry leaves on the ground, others feed on faeces, and many others are part of the cadaveric fauna.
  • Insects: there are also beetles that are carnivorous animals.They feed on larvae of other insects or adult individuals, although they can also feed on mites or butterfly caterpillars.
  • amphibians: Some beetles, despite being smaller in size than their prey, can feed on frogs and toads. They attract these amphibians to attack them, and when they do, they enter their mouths to gradually absorb the liquids.

What does rhinoceros beetle eat?

We call rhinoceros beetles or horn beetles all the celeoptera that have one or more horns on the head. These types of beetles are among the largest in the world, measuring more than six centimeters in length. This horn is used by males in their fights to impress females and also to dig tunnels that serve to escape from dangerous situations.


Rhinoceros beetles are herbivorous beetles. They usually feed on leaves and plant matter which can be commonly found in the soil of the forests where they usually live.

What does green beetle eat?

This type of beetle can belong to several genera but they are all characterized by a metallic green color very flashy.

Green beetles are pests on crops as they feed on fruits. In addition, they can also take the nectarof the flowers. The larvae of these beetles are herbivores and, at this stage, they feed on plant roots.

What does dung beetle eat?

These coleoptera are dung beetles and they feed on decaying matter, specifically the feces of animals, with which they form balls that they can carry. They are very strong beetles and good flyers. From the air, thanks to their small specialized antennas, they can pick up the smell of manure from several kilometers away.

What does the Egyptian beetle eat?

Egyptian beetles or scarab beetles are beetles of the family Dermestidae, whose specimens and adult larvae feed on decayed meat. these beetles were used by the egyptians to remove remnants of flesh from the bodies they were going to mummify. there are other beetles very present in the cadaveric fauna and some of them feed not on meat but on fly larvae that live on the corpse.

If you want to read more articles similar to What do beetle eat?, we recommend that you enter our Balanced Diets section.