Litinsects

Litinsects #42: Weevils We are back on insects! Who has heard of weevils before? Weevils are a type of beetle known for their long “nose” or ROSTRUM. They are also called snout beetles and, believe it or not, some of those snouts are pretty cute. “Weevil” can mean either PRIMITIVE WEEVILS, which have straight antennae, or TRUE WEEVILS, which have elbowed antennae. Primitive weevils describe a number of different families whereas true weevils comprise a single family (which is a level of classification above genus). True weevils are considered one of the most SPECIOSE (aka species-rich) families of animals on earth. Disclaimer: of course we can only say this based on our current knowledge and not with absolute certainty because there are countless insect species yet to be discovered... but there are currently around 45,000 described species of true weevils! Let me give you some perspective on that number: if you added up all the living species of birds, mammals, reptiles, and amp...

© Christopher Marley Litinsects #9: Beetle Biodiversity Take a minute and think about all the different animal species that science has named... from sponges and snails, to earthworms and scorpions, to sharks and birds and humans. What if I told you that a quarter of all the animals that we know of right now on this planet 🌍 ... are beetles?! I know it’s hard to imagine...all the people... living life in peace... oh wait, wrong kind of beetle! 😜 There are around 380,000 named beetle species at the moment. They make up about 40% of all insect species but scientists think there could be a MILLION more beetle species that haven’t been discovered yet! They are found in almost every type of habitat except polar regions and the open ocean and come in all shapes, colors, and sizes imaginable. Now for some fun beetle superlatives: The HERCULES BEETLE is the longest beetle and one of the largest flying insects in the world, measuring up to 17cm (7 in). It can lif...

Litinsects #2: Beetle Elytra Beetles, like this ladybug here, come in all shapes and sizes but have one basic thing in common: hardened (sclerotized) forewings, named ELYTRA, which cover and protect their bodies. In flight, the elytra are lifted up and the hindwings are extended so, functionally, beetles actually only use one pair of wings to fly. Now for some FACTS about beetle wings... 🐞 The scientific name for beetles is COLEOPTERA, which comes from the Greek koleos, meaning sheath, and pteron, meaning wing Elytra are not “used in flight” per se but do have an effect on lift and drag. They also serve to TRAP MOISTURE and keep the hindwings from dehydrating Beetles’ hindwings are usually much longer than their elytra. At rest, they are FOLDED longitudinally (the long way) and then transversely (across) and tucked under the elytra (see second picture) Most insects fly with their legs tucked against their bodies to reduce drag but beetles fly...