Over 300,000 species of beetles live on the earth and over 12,000 beetles live in the U.S. Beetles have a hard shell and four wings. Some beetles cause a lot of damage by eating crops, wood and food. Others help us by pollinating crops or eating harmful insects.
Beetles come in many sizes and shapes. The Titan beetle from South America can grow up to 8 inches long, while the Goliath beetle is usually about five inches long. The smallest beetle, the featherwing beetle, can’t be seen without a microscope.
Fun Facts about Beetles for Kids
- Beetles come in a lot of colors. Beetles can be bright yellow, green, red, orange or purple. They can have stripes or spots.
- Beetles are one of the world’s oldest animals. They have been here for over 300,000 years.
- Beetles live everywhere – from hot deserts to the polar ice caps.
- Most beetles have protective defenses to defend themselves against predators. Ladybugs squirt a yellow blood; some ground beetles squirt acid that burns the skin and eyes. One beetle in Africa is very poisonous. African tribes there use this poison on their darts.
- Beetles go through metamorphosis just like all insects. They start as eggs and hatch into larvae. The larvae look like ugly little worms. They’re sometimes called grubs. Later, beetles enter a pupa stage and transform into adult beetles.
Beetle Vocabulary
- Damage: breaking or ruining something
- Pollinate: spread pollen from one plant to another so fruit forms
- Protective: designed to keep safe
- Predator: animal that hunts other animals
Learn More All About Beetles
Watch this video all about beetles:
A video of fun facts about beetles.
Beetle Q&A
Question: Do beetles lay eggs?
Answer: Beetles, like all insects, lay eggs – sometimes in the thousands!
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Question: How many legs do beetles have?
Answer: Beetles have six legs, like all insects.
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