the.com/coleoptera

The order of beetles — one in every four animals on Earth, armored and unbothered.

means The scientific order name for beetles, the hard-shelled insects with forewings modified into protective covers over their flight wings.

from From Greek koleos ('sheath' — the kind a sword slides into) plus pteron ('wing'). Coined to describe the beetle's signature trick: its front wings harden into a case, the elytra, that folds down like a sheath to shield the delicate flying wings underneath. The name is usually credited to Aristotle's grouping of sheath-winged insects, later formalized into the Linnaean order Coleoptera in the 18th century.

species count
over 400000 described, likely millions more
name origin
greek for sheathed wing
haldane quip
god has inordinate fondness for beetles
body plan
front wings hardened into protective shell, elytra
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