Beetles are among the most numerous insect groups, with about 370,000 described species. These species are organized in four suborders: Archostemata, with only five families; Adephaga, which contains 10 families; Myxophaga, containing four families; and Polyphaga, the most diverse and largest of all, with over 140 families. Moths are less numerous than beetles, with about 250,000 known species.
Beetles have a hard pair of wings connected to the thorax, called elytra. They are like shields that protect the body and the second pair of wings, which are soft and used for flying. Unlike beetles, moths do not have elytra, but two pairs of wings, which are used for flying. The small scales covering the wings of moths have important functions, including thermal insulation and providing camouflage.
Beetles have two large mandibles to cut and chew, a feature they share with dragonflies and ants. In some species of stag beetles, the males have giant mandibles, an extreme adaptation to defense and attack that are not used for feeding. Most beetles feed on plant parts, but some species also eat carrion and dung. Like butterflies, moths have coiled mouthpieces adapted for sucking the nectar of flowers.
Beetles and moths pass through a complete metamorphosis during their life cycles, which include the stages of egg, larvae, pupa and adult. However, while most moth species have short lives as adults, which are sometimes shorter than a week, some beetle species can live as much as eight weeks as adults.