HOW MANY BEETLES ARE THERE?

Beetle come in different shapes and sizes and are among the most numerous and most colorful creatures on earth.

Brightly colored beetle

Metallic green beetle

The exact number is not known. Beetles come in different shapes and sizes and are among the most numerous and most colorful creatures on earth. They come in many different colors: gold, green, black, blue, red, silver and anything in between.

Beetles play a vital role in maintaining recycling dung and plant matter, which is important in maintaining the health of ecosystems.

Beetle (black in color)

Almost 400,000 species of insects that form the order Coleoptera—to which beetles belong— have been identified and new species continue to be discovered.

Blue beetle

Researchers have identified close 400,000 species of insects that form the order Coleoptera, to which beetles belong, and continue to discover new ones. They play a vital role in maintaining recycling dung and plant matter, which is essential in maintaining the health of ecosystems.