Beetles - Beetle images and information, Australia

Beetles - Order Coleoptera

Wasp-mimic Longicorn
Hesthesis sp.

This is by far the largest order in Australia and the rest of the world. There are over 28,000 species in this country and they come in all shapes and sizes and can be found everywhere.

Beetles all have a pair of compund eyes, which can vary in shape and size from species to species. They also have a pair of antennae in many shapes and lengths. The vast majority of beetles have two pairs of wings. In all cases, the forewings have become hardened, or sclerotised, to form a protective cover over the hindwings, which are membranous and used for flying. When at rest, the hindwings are tucked under the forewings to reduce the risk of damage. In some flightless species, the hindwings have disappeared and the forewings have become fused together to act as body armour.

Collectively, Coleoptera eat just about anything as larvae and adults - leaves, wood, carrion, dung, fungi, nectar, seeds, each other and other insects. For this function, they all have mandibulate (chewing) mouthparts.

Beetles undergo complete metamorphosis. The larvae hatch from eggs and develop in 3 to 5 stages, called instars, which involves moulting at each stage. At the end of the final instar, they pupate, eventually emerging as fully-developed adults. The devlopment from larvae to adult can take as long as several years.

Nature has an incredible imagination and beetles are prime examples. The variety of shapes, sizes and colours is staggering and at times breathtaking. I don't think any photo can truly do them justice, but I've tried to do my best to capture what I saw. You should have seen the ones that got away!

Special thanks to coleopterist Boris Buche from Germany, and biologist and author, Dr. Trevor Hawkeswood, and Justin Bartlett from DPI, who have been kind enough to assist with many of my beetle identifications. See the Acknowledgements & Links page for details of their sites.

Thanks also to Allen Sundholm for his assistance and advice, especially with regard to the Jewel Beetles (Buprestidae).

And a big thank you to Tom Weir, former curator of the CSIRO's Australian National Insect Collection, Canberra, for offering new and corrected identifications for some of the beetles in my collection.

Click on an image below to see the beetles of Australia.

Anobiidae	Anthicidae Flower Beetles	Anthribidae
Belidae Belid Weevils	Bothrideridae Dry Bark Beetles	Brentidae Brentid Weevils
Buprestidae Jewel Beetles	Cantharidae Soldier Beetles	Carabidae Ground Beetles
Cerambycidae Longicorn Beetles	Chrysomelidae Leaf Beetles	Cleridae Checkered Beetles
Coccinellidae Ladybird Beetles	Cucujidae Flat Bark Beetles	Curculionidae True Weevils
Dermestidae Dermestid Beetles	Elateridae Click Beetles	Erotylidae Pleasing Fungus and Lizard Beetles
Lampyridae Fireflies	Languriidae Lizard Beetles	Lucanidae Stag Beetles
Lycidae Net-winged Beetles	Melyridae Soft-winged Flower Beetles	Mordellidae Pintail Beetles
Nitidulidae Sap Beetles	Oedemeridae False Blister Beetles	Passalidae Bess Beetles
Pyrochroidae	Rhipiceridae Feather-horned Beetles	Rhipiphoridae Wedge-shaped Beetles
Scaphidiidae Shining Fungus Beetles	Scarabaeidae Scarabs	Staphylinidae Rove Beetles
Tenebrionidae Darkling Beetles		Unknown Beetles