Beetles, as you most probably already know, are insects. In general, beetles show several species and they are known to be of the order Coleoptera, which basically means that the insects show sheathed wings. Perhaps you don’t know this, but 40% of all insects are beetles and every now and then new species are being discovered adding to the already massive population. As such, beetle insect infestations are not rare. They are in fact very common in many parts of the world, something that makes beetle insect control one of the most sought after pest control procedure.
The ecology of the beetle insect
Beetles do not show specific ecological characteristics. They can be found in almost all habitats although the insects are known to thrive best in regions near the sea as well as in the Polar Regions. Beetles interact with their ecosystems quite remarkably feeding on things such as plants as well as fungi. Beetles are also known to play a part in decomposing dead animals and plants returning useful nutrients to the soil. A few beetle species also feed on mammals as well as birds although these species are not that popular. In a way, the insect beetle can be taken to be a useful agricultural pest. Nevertheless, a beetle insect infestation is hardly desirable, as you will see by the end of this article.
A description of the beetle insect
In general, the anatomy of the beetle insect does not vary that much although specific organs and a few appendages may differ significantly in appearance and function between the many beetle insect species known to man. Pretty much like is the case with most insects, the body of a beetle shows three distinct sections namely the head, the thorax, and the abdomen. When viewed topically, the thorax of the beetle insect shows the part from which all three pairs of legs and both pairs of wings arise. Beetles are segmented organisms and all three of the major sections of the body are themselves further composed of several further segments. In addition to the above, the beetle insect also shows a hard exoskeleton and hard fore wings. The exoskeleton, as you most probably already know, is made up of numerous plates, a design which creates the armored defenses of the beetle while maintaining the insect’s flexibility.
Why the beetle insect is considered as a pest in many parts of the world
As we established above, beetles show no less than 1 million different species and not all of them make do with feeding on wild plants and fungi. The Colorado potato beetle insect is a notorious garden pest that thrives by feeding on potato plants. These plants are then destroyed, the reason why to control the beetles mentioned above, the use of pesticides becomes necessary. The boll weevil, on the other hand, is a beetle insect, which feeds on cotton producers. The bark beetle insect is an important elm pest because the insect carries the Dutch elm disease as it migrates from one breeding site to another. Last but not least, the most common beetle insect is the flour beetle. These insects feed on the things we keep in our pantry including cereals, flour as well as grains.
