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Ray Wilson
Bird & Wildlife Photography
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Beetles
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Order: Coleoptera
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| The beetles comprise the largest insect order in the world with a staggering 350000 species so far described and, as you would probably expect from such a large number of species, they encompass a huge diversity of morphologies and lifestyles. In size alone they range from the largest insects, with the Goliath Beetle weighing over 100g and its larvae measuring over 15cm in length, to some of the smallest insects in the world, measuring less than 0.25mm. |
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| The name Adephaga means "gluttenous", so it is no surprise that the majority of the 40000 species in this group are voracious predators. A few, however, have developed highly speciallized lifestyles, such as being ectoparasitic to some insects and millipedes. Examples of Adephaga beetles are found in practically every terrestrial habitat from mountaintops to caves, and a few of the groups are also highly aquatic, such as the Whirligig beetles and predaceous diving beetles. |
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Updated 1st November 2009
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| 90% of all the beetles so far described belong to this enormous and incredibly diverse group. |
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Added 18th August 2009
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Updated 16th August 2009
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Updated 15th August 2009
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Updated 1st November 2009
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Updated 1st November 2009
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| Disclaimer: Although I always endevour to correctly identify the subjects displayed in the photos, I am not an expert in insect identification and cannot guarantee the names stated in this gallery are all 100% correct. Where possible I have used the relavent keys to ensure correct identification, but errors may still have been made. If you think I have misidentified any of the specimens in the photos, or know the identites of any unidentified species, please e-mail me. |
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