Beetle

High school (ages 12+)
Animals & Nature

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/beetle

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific name?Coleoptera
2. What makes beetles special compared to other insects?Beetles have hard, protective wing covers called elytra that keep them safe and let them fly. Their strong exoskeleton and many different body shapes help them survive in many places.
3. Why are there so many beetle species?Scientists have described about 400,000 beetle species, about 40% of all insects. Their hard shells, good flight, and ability to live in many habitats let them grow into many kinds.

Elytra: The hardened, protective forewings of beetles, which cover and shield the membranous hindwings when at rest.
Adaptive Radiation: The rapid diversification of a lineage into different ecological niches, often driven by new opportunities or adaptations.
Niche Partitioning: The process by which competing species use the environment differently in a way that helps them to coexist.
Biocontrol Agent: An organism used to control populations of pests, often by preying on or parasitizing them.