Why do I love beetles?

The Beetle Kingdom - a brief introduction for children and families by Benedict John Pollard

Introduction
It is a widely accepted notion amongst Natural Historians that there are more species of beetle on Earth than any other group of organisms. Estimates vary from 400,000 to as many as over 2 million different species, with vast numbers of species yet to be discovered, especially in the beautiful humid tropics.


Where to find beetles?
Beetles have an amazing diversity of habits and habitats and are an essential part of the interconnectedness of life. They can be found on the ground, on grasses, shrubs, trees, flowers, inside stems, under bark, under logs, in puddles, in birds’ nests, ants’ nests, badger setts, rabbit warrens, in grass tussocks, fungi, rotting wood, amongst algae, under driftwood on the sea shore. Some are active in the daytime, and others emerge at night. Broader habitats include meadows, pastureland, forest, lakes, ponds, streams, on sand dunes, rock-pools, cliff ledges, saltmarshes, reedbeds, and even one can find many interesting species in old industrial wastelands. One can even start looking simply, by just inspecting leaves as you walk by. This is how I started, just a few years ago. The image below is of the Alder Leaf Beetle which was thought to be extinct in Britain, after being recorded in the Victorian era. In just the last couple of years it’s population has suddenly undergone an ‘explosion’ and it is being reported all over the country in Britain, which goes to show that there is so much to learn, as nobody is quite sure why it has made such a remarkable ‘comeback’.

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