The beetles: the single most species-rich order of any organism on Earth, defined by a hardened front pair of wings (elytra) that fold over and protect a membranous flying hind pair. Coleoptera is famously diverse enough that the biologist J.B.S. Haldane is said to have joked that the creator must have had 'an inordinate fondness for beetles.'
Facts
Disputed
Member Species/Taxa CountApproximate described-species (or, for a genus, described-taxon) count; continually revised as species are newly described, reclassified or synonymized. Taxonomic Rank Scientific Name Connections
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