Beetles: Order Coleoptera There are over 350,000 different known
beetle species worldwide and new species are being discovered
all the time. Beetles make up 40% of all insects and there are
eight times as many beetle species as there are fish, amphibian,
reptile, bird and mammal species put together. Beetles are
extremely diverse and are one of the most successful groups of
animals in the world. The huge number of beetle species
demonstrates their ability to live in almost any environment.
Their front wings (called elytra) are hard sheaths that protect
the beetles' hind wings and cover the breathing pores. This
enables beetles to control their body temperature and retain
water. Beetles also have diverse mouthparts, and they eat
anything from hardwood to the ooze from rotting fungi. - Over
one-quarter of all known species of animals are beetles. - There
are over 350,000 different known beetle species worldwide and
new species are being discovered all the time. - Some1,500
species may occur in the Sydney region