Beetles belong to the Coleptra order of insects and are one of the most common insects in deciduous forests. The Coleptra order makes up 40-percent of the world's known insects. (see References 2; page 1) Deciduous forest beetles use leaves for shelter and hibernation during the winter months. Beetles also use leaves for laying their eggs. Leaves provide food for beetle larvae, or a beetle's infant stages. Some beetles found in deciduous forests are the Mexican bean beetle, Asian longhorned beetle and ladybug beetle. The Asian longhorned beetle is native to China, but introduced to deciduous forests in the United States. (see References 3)
Every 17 years, cicadas appear in deciduous forests throughout the eastern United States. When they appear, the cicadas swarm the forests in seemingly infinite numbers. This type of arrival allows cicadas to defend themselves from predators. The cicadas outnumber the predators, making it impossible for predators to kill all the cicadas. Cicadas forage on tree leaves and branches during their swarming season. When they are not swarming trees, cicadas live underground and dine on sap, which they such out of the plant's roots. (see References 4) Cicadas also appear in deciduous forests in Australia and Asia. Some cicada genera are Tibicen and Magicicada.
Butterflies and moths are both members of the Lepidoptera order of insects. These flying insects live in deciduous forest biomes during their adult and larval life stages. During their larval stage, butterflies and moths are also known as caterpillars. Caterpillars are not able to fly, but rely on leaves for nourishment. After a caterpillar reaches its full growth potential, it wraps itself in a cocoon -- or chrysalis -- and develops into an adult. Adult butterflies and moths pollinate flowers within deciduous forests. Some species, such as the monarch butterfly, migrate distances to avoid winter seasons. (see References 5) Some butterfly species in deciduous forests are skippers and swallowtails, while the deaths-head and peppered moths also live in deciduous forests.
Deciduous forest floors are home to ant colonies in North American and Europe. Two species of fire ants live in deciduous forests, the European fire ant (native to Europe) and true fire ants of Solenopsis genus (found in the Southern United States). However, European fire ants have been introduced to deciduous forests in the northern United States. (see References 6) While ants nest on the ground, these insects crawl up trees to bring leaves and bark back to feed the colony. Flower seeds also provide food for deciduous forest ants. Other ant species in deciduous forests are weaver ants and leafcutter ants.