This document provides information on the order Coleoptera (beetles and weevils). It describes their physical characteristics including having sheathed wings and chewing mouthparts. It outlines the 3 suborders - Polyphaga, Adephaga, and Archostemata - and discusses 12 superfamilies within Polyphaga. For each superfamily, 1-3 representative families are described. It also lists the 4 families within Adephaga and the 2 families of Archostemata. In summary, it comprehensively covers the taxonomy of beetles from order to family level including physical traits.

1. Coleoptera
 Coleo – a sheath
 Ptera – wings
 Insects of this order have beetles & weevil.

4. Head
 Antennae is varies.
 Mouth parts are chewing type.

5. Thorax
 Fore wing are elytra.
 Hind wing are membranous .

7. Abdomen
 Abdomen are covered with elytron.
 But in some insects 2-3 abdominal segmented are naked.

8. 1) Suborder Polyphaga
 Notopleural suture is absent or incomplete.
 Wings are without 2m – cu cross veins.
 Distal part is not spirally coiled in repose.

9. 2) Suborder Adephaga
 Notopleural suture is present in prothorax.
 Hind coxae are immovably fixed to the meta sternum.
 Wings are usually with 2m – cu cross veins.

10. 3) Suborder Archostemata
 Notopleural suture is present in prothorax.
 Hind coxae are not immovably fixed to the metasternum.
 Wings are usually with 2m – cu cross veins.
 Distal part is spirally coiled in repose.

11. Super families of suborder
polyphaga
IT INCLUDE 12 SUPER FAMILY

12. 1) Super family Scrabaeoidea
 Antennae are 10 segmented.
 With 3 – 7 apical segments on
one side to form lamellate club.
 Species is stout body.

13. Families of the super
families scarabaeoidea

14. 1) Geotrupidae
 E.g. Dor Beetle
 Antennae are 11 segmented.
 Abdominal spiracles all are
present in the pleural membranes.

15. 2) Family Scarabaeidae
 E.g. dung beetles, scarab beetle etc..
 Antennae are 8 – 10 segmented.
 Abdominal spiracles some are
present in the sternites.

16. 2) Super family Hydrophiloidea
 Antennae are short.
 First 3 – 5 segments glabrous.
 Next segments cup like.
 Last one strong pubescent club shape.
 Species is specially less stout.
 Habit most aquatic.

17. 1) Family Hydrophilidae
 E.g. water scavengers, haydrophilus piceus
 Large numbers truly aquatic.

18. 3) Super family Staphylinoidea
 Antennae last 3 segment forming compact club.
 Exoskeleton is very hard and shining.
 Elytra truncate.
 Last 2 abdominal segments are exposed.

19. 1) Family Silphidae
 E.g. carrion beetle and bunging beetle
 Elytra long.
 Last abdominal segments exposed.
 Abdomen is not usually mobile.

20. 2) Stephylinidae
 E.g. Rove beetle
 Elytra very short.
 Leaving many abdominal segments exposed.
 Abdomen usually mobile.

21. 4)Super family Histeriodea
 Antennae geniculate.
 Antennae last 3 segment forming compact club.
 Exoskeleton is hard, black and shining.
 Elytra truncture.
 Leaving 1-2 abdominal segments exposed.

22. 1) Family Histeridae
 E.g. Hister beetle
 Commonly found in dung and carrion.
 Having compact, hard and shining body.
 Small sized (0.5-10 mm) with geniculate or club antennae.
 Elytra Brown and black in color.
 Antennae and legs beneath the body.

23. 5) Super family Buprestoidea
 Antennae short and serrate.
 Tarsi with ventral lobes on segments 2-4.
 Abdominal tergites are all well sclerotized.

24. 1) Family Buprestidae
 E.g. cotton borer
 The single family buprestidae
 (metallic wood boring beetles)
 Adult have a scutellary streak on elytra.
 The well marked transverse suture on metastenum.

25. 6) Super family Elateroidea
 Antennae filiform.
 Tarsi with more then one segment adhesive lobes beneath.
 Abdominal tergites are weakly sclerotized.
 Hind coxae are almost always with complete femoral plates.

26. 1) Family Elateridae
 E.g. Click beetle
 Antennal socket are close to eyes.
 Femoral plates of hind coxae are broad throughout.

27. 7) Super family Cathariodea
 Antennae are filiform.
 Hind coxae are with femoral plates narrow incomplete or absent.
 6 or 7 abdominal sternites are visible.

28. 1)Family Lampyridae
 E.g. firefly, glow – worm
 Luminous organ are present in one sex(male).
 Elytra are usually with epipleura anteriorly broad.

29. 2) Family Cantharidae
 E.g. Soldier beetle
 Luminous organ are absent.
 Elytra are narrow and with out epipleura.

30. 8) Super family Dermestoidea
 Antennae are not filiform.
 Hind coxae are more or less distinct femoral plates.
 5 abdominal sternites are visible.
 Tarsi are 5 segmented.
 Prothorax is not hood like.

31. 1) Family Dermestidae
 E.g. dermestid beetle, khapra
 Mostly inhabit furs hides wool dried.
 Preserved Insects or other food material.

32. 9) Super family Bostrychoidea
 Prothorax is hood like.
 Ocelli are absent.

33. 1) Family Anobidae
 E.g. drugs store beetle, death watch beetle
 Antennae are usually 11 segmented, rarely clubbed.
 Hind coxae are contiguous.

34. 2) Family Bostrychidae
 E.g. twig beetle
 Antennae are usually less then 11 segmented, clubbed.
 Hind coxae are contiguous.

35. 3)Family Lyctidae
 E.g. powder post beetle
 Antennae are usually less then 11 segmented, clubbed.
 Hind coxae are separated.

36. 10) Super family Chrysomeloidea
 Ocelli are present.
 Head s not rostrate.
 Gular suture is distinct.
 Antennae are without club and not receive into a groove.

37. 1) Family Cerambycidae
 E.g. Longicorn beetle, long horned wood boring beetle.
 Antennae are at least two third long as whole body.
 Tibiae with 2 spurs and claws always simple.

38. 2) Family Bruchidae
 E.g. Dhora, seed beetle, pulse beetle
 Antennae are shorter.
 Claws are often split.

39. 3) Family Chrysomelidae
 E.g. leaf beetle, potato beetle, red pumpkin beetle
 Antennae are filiform fairly long.
 Tarsi 4 segmented.
 The 3rd segment is enlarged to form a large
Kidney shaped pad.

40. 11) Super family Cucujoidea
 Head is not rostrate.
 Antennae are filiform or clubbed.
 Abdomen with 5 visible sternites.

41. 1) Family Rhizophagidae
 E.g. root eating beetle
 Antennae are clubbed (10 – 11 segments are fused).
 Elytra truncate and last abdominal tergites are uncovered.

42. 2) Family Cucujidae
 E.g. flat bark beetle
 Antennae are filiform.
 1st tarsal segment is much shorter than 2nd .

43. 3) Family Coccinellidae
 E.g. lady bird beetle
 Head is partly concealed by pronotum.
 Tarsi is 4 segmented.
 3rd segment concealed in the bilobed 2nd segment.

44. 4) Family Tenebrionidae
 E.g. Darkling beetle, Red flour beetle
 First 3 visible abdominal sternites are connate.
 Fore coxae are not projecting.

45. 5) Family Meloidae
 E.g. Blister beetle, Oil beetle
 Head is strongly deflexed, neck narrow.
 Tarsal claw is split and usually serrate.

46. 12) Super family Curculionoidea
 Head is more or less produced into a rostrum.
 Gular suture is nearly always confluent.
 Antennae are usually geniculate and clubbed.
 1st segment retractable into a groove.

47. 1) Family Curculionidae
 E.g. Weevil, Rice weevil, Date palm weevil.
 Head is forming a snout.
 Antennae nearly always geniculate.
 Trochanter very rarely long.

48. Families of suborder
Adephaga
4 FAMILIES

49. 1) Family Cicindelidae
 E.g. Tiger beetle
 Large sized terrestrial beetle.
 Clypeus is extended laterally in
front of antennal insertion.
 Elytra are not regularly striate.

50. 2) Family Carabidae
 E.g. Carabid beetle, Ground beetle
 Clypeus is not extended laterally
in front of antennal insertion.
 Elytra with striation.
 Terrestrial small sized insects.

51. 3) Family Dytiscidae
 E.g. True water beetle.
 Aquatic beetle.
 Compound eyes are not completely divided.
 Antennae are filiform.

52. 4) Family Gyrinidae
 E.g. Whirligig beetle
 Aquatic beetle.
 Compound eyes are completely divided into two.
 Antennae are short and thick.

53. Families of suborder
Archostemata
2 FAMILIES

54. Family Cupedidae and Micromalthidae
 Only recorded from the central united states.
 Also introduced in Hawaii and South Africa.