Many beetles can fly when they extend their wings, the elytra, fold out of the way of moving wings and act as fixed front wings.

There are more than 2,50,000 different species of beetles, which make them the largest order of animals.

Beetles vary largely in size. Some are so smallest to be almost invisible without a magnifying glass. Goliath beetle found in a Africa, often reaches 5 inches in length and the worlds largest insect.

Beetles vary greatly in appearance. The Weevils or snout beetles have long, pointed heads, often equal in length to their bodies. They use the pointed heads for boring into plants. The Boll Weevil, which damages the cotton crops, is one of this family.

Many beetles are extremely destructive. Wireworms destroy grain crops and Colorado potato bug attacks potatoes. The Japanese beetles eat the leaves of fruit trees. Some beetles are destructive in their adult form. It is the grubs or larvae that cause damage. One species, the lead cable borer, eats its easy into telephone cables and is known as the “short-circuit beetle”.

Other beetles are useful to man, and are even used or a purpose. Lady bugs are introduced into citrus groves because they feed on other insects, including pests that damage the fruit.

Certain beetles have become to exist in water. Some move on the surface. These include the Whirligig beetles which move on circles.

One of the strangest groups of beetles, the luminous beetles, shine in he dark. These include fireflies and glowworms. The source of their light is a slow chemical reaction that generates almost no heat. The light comes from special tissues in the beetle’s body and may have red or green color. Some beetles have both colors at once.