The document discusses the classification of Coleoptera (beetles), which is divided into 4 suborders. It focuses on the suborder Adephaga, which contains predatory families like Carabidae (ground beetles), Cicindellidae (tiger beetles), Dytiscidae (diving beetles), and Gyrinidae (whirligig beetles). It provides details on the morphology, behavior, habitat and notable features of beetle families within the Adephaga suborder.

1. Classification of Coleoptera –
Suborders; Adephaga (Carabidae, Cicindellidae,
Dytiscidae and Gyrinidae )
V.Mugunthan
2021004067

2. Coleoptera
It is also known as Elytroptera.
Coleo – Sheath; Ptera – wing.
It is the largest order contains 40% of known species in
Insecta and also more than 3,30,000 described.
The common names are beetles, weevils.
It can be found everywhere such as land, air, water etc...,
It includes predators, scavengers and many crop pests
which can also damage stored products.

4. Characters of Order Coleoptera
Size – Minute to large.
Antenna – 11 segmented.
Mouthparts – Chewing type.
Mandibles are short with blunt teeth at the mesal
face in phytophagous group.
In predators mandibles are long, sharply pointed with
blade like inner ridge.
In pollen feeders – teeth absent and mandibles
covered with stiff hairs.
In many species mandibles sexually dimorphic.

5. Characters of Order Coleoptera
Head – Primitively prognathous, sometimes
hypognathous, heavily sclerotized and of varied shape
Eyes – Compound eyes (present or absent)
Forewings – Heavily sclerotized, veinless and hardened
elytra. It is not used for flight.
Hindwings – Membranous with few veins and are useful
in flight.
In some weevils and ground beetles the fore wings are
fused and the hind wings are atrophied.

6. Characters of Order Coleoptera
Prothorax – large, distinct and mobile.
Mesothorax and Metathorax – fused with first
abdominal segment.
Forewings fused and hindwings atrophied in weevils
and ground beetles.
Cerci and distinct ovipositor absent.
Metamorphosis – Complete
Life stages : eggs – grub – pupa – adult
Four basic larval types :campodeiform, eruciform,
scarabaeiform and apodous.

7. Classification of Coleoptera
The order Coleoptera can be classified into four
suborders namely
1)Suborder Adephaga
2)Suborder Archostemata
3)Suborder Myxophaga
4)Suborder Polyphaga

8. Suborder Adephaga
Domain : Eukaryota
Kingdom : Animalia
Phylum : Arthropoda
Class : Insecta
Order : Coleoptera
Suborder : Adephaga

9. Adephaga
The Adephaga are a suborder of beetles and with
more than 40,000 recorded species in 10 families, the
second largest of the four beetle suborders.
They are devourers.
Hindwings with an oblongum.
Notopleural sulcus on prothorax.
Segmented urogomphi – present in most species.

10. Families of Suborder Adephaga
i. Family Cicindellidae
ii. Family Carabidae
iii. Family Dytiscidae
iv. Family Gyrinidae

11. FAMILY CICINDELIDAE: (Tiger beetles – Grubs
and adults – predators.)
Head – wider than prothorax.
Eyes – larger and have very keen vision.
Mandibles – long, sharply pointed, sickle shaped and
acutely toothed for capturing.
Legs – long and tarsi slender which are enable to run
fast.
Elytra without grooves and rows of punctures. Elytra
– spots and stripes.

12. Tiger beetle

13. FAMILY CARABIDAE: (Ground beetles)
 They are known as ground beetles.
 Adults – Black, some brightly spotted.
 Fused elytra and atrophied HW.
 Legs suited for running.
 Larvae – caliper like mandibles, well developed legs and
terminal cerci like structures – urogomphi.
 Nocturnal – Ground beetles – voracious predators.
 Six spotted carabid : Anthia sexguttata.

14. There are more than 40,000 species worldwide around 2,000
which are found in North America and 2,700 in Europe.

15. FAMILY DYTISCIDAE : (True water beetles,
predaceous diving beetles)
‘Dytikos’ – able to dive
Body – long, oval smooth and shiny.
Head, thorax and abdomen are compactly joined.
Antenna – filiform.
Hind legs – flattened, fringed with hairs and suited
for swimming.
The family includes more than 4,000 described
species in numerous genera.

16. Adults and larvae are aquatic predators.
In some male beetles the fore-tarsi are provided with
cup like suckers which are useful in clasping the
mate.

17. Family GYRINIDAE : (Whirlgig beetles)
Body – Small to large, flat aquatic beetle.
Eyes – compound eyes
Forelegs – prehensile and long
Middle legs and hind legs – natatorial.
They swim on water surface and live under carrying a
water beetle at hind end.
The whirlgig beetles are water beetles, comprising the
family Gyrinidae that usually swim on the surface of the
water if undisturbed, though they swim underwater
when threatened.

18. The family includes some 700 extent species worldwide
in 15 genera, plus a few fossil species.

19. Thank You