Members of the order Coleoptera, beetles are one of the most numerous groups of insects, with about 400,000 recognized species. Beetles are organized in four suborders: the largest Polyphaga, with more than 140 families; Adephaga, containing 10 families; and the small Archostemata and Myxophaga families, with five and four families, respectively. Although moths are less numerous than beetles, these members of the order Lepidoptera have about 250,000 described species.
Moths have coiled mouth parts adapted for sucking nectar while beetles have large mandibles to chew and cut. Along the evolution of the species, males of stag beetles have developed extremely large mandibles, which they cannot use for feeding any longer. Stag beetles use their giant mandibles to attack other males, especially during the matting period.
Like most insects, beetles and moths go through several stages of development before reaching their adult form. In both creatures, metamorphosis include four stages (egg, larvae, pupa and adult), but have different durations. Generally, moth species have shorter adult stages than beetles, lasting only a few days to two or three weeks, the necessary time to enable reproduction. Some species of beetles can live more than a month as adults.
Moths have two pairs of soft wings, which are covered with small and sometimes colorful scales that provide thermal insulation and camouflage. Although beetles also have two pair of wings, one of them is an extension of the exoskeleton, providing extra protection. These solid, shield-like wings are called elytra and cover a second pair of soft, transparent wings, which beetles use for flying.