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Photographed by LIU Ye
Summer， all things prosperous. This season， the insects reach the year's most prosperous period. During this time， the most magnificent beetle family， which is known as summer’s “Armor Warrior” also become active！ However， most of the beetle can only survive a summer to finish the entire course of their life in this period. Despite of this， they still tenaciously live， completing their mission.
Now， let’s uncover the veil of warriors of beetles’ family， and have a sweet visit to these “Armor Elves” of summer！
Beetles， commonly known as the Bugs or Scarabs， have the scientific title of Coleoptera （Latin name Coleoptera）， consisting the largest group within the Insecta category. Currently there are 182 beetle families around the world， a total of about 400，000 kinds， more than the sum of all the other animals on the planet. Thanks to the hard armors on their backs， beetles can be so prosperous and successful on earth.
Beetles were born very early times on Earth， far away in hundreds of millions of years ago， even before the dinosaurs had been found. The most surprisingly， in the age of dinosaurs， many beetles’ families have been evolved completely， having not much difference in appearance from nowadays ones. With their body crustaceans evolved quite well， they play the role of real living fossils.
It is because of the protection of their crustaceans， beetles are able to live in various environments on the earth. So from which part of the body are these crustaceans formed？ They are mainly formed by a hard and thickened exoskeleton of them， especially forewings （in total beetles have two pairs of wings， forewings and hind wings）， which through evolution have become a dome shell of armor， protecting the softest belly and hind wings with larger surface. The wing-like crustaceans， we call them Coleoptera. In accordance with different types of beetles， Coleoptera structure and shape features are also changing.
Hercules beetles in the forest
Summer is known for its mighty Hercules beetles， which is a class of famous ornamental insects， and is named because of its great size and rhinoceros-like shape. Most male Hercules beetles have cornicult on their heads， while the females don’t.
Rhinoceros beetles have diverse types and are of highly great size in Southeast Asia and South America. The most common ones are atlas beetle， which is huge and has dark body， with a huge pectoral angle and horn， quite similar to Triceratops of ancient times. Meeting them， ladybugs often shun， hence it can be said that they have very deterrent effects. China's most famous Hercules beetles is called dichotoma， commonly known as the allomyrina. In the south， under the heat of the sun， it can often be seen that on the trunk， a few allomyrina gather together， licking the juice out of it. Sometimes， you can even see two male allomyrinas fighting each other with horns of each， most of the time， fighting for delicacies and pretty “girls”.
Once winning the battle， the winning side will triumphantly occupy the trunk sap， inviting its beloved girl to enjoy this cuisine together. In this case， the “violence” in the insect world seems to be problem-solving. After sharing the delicious sap， the female allomyrina will mate with the male one， and afterwards fly to a habitant with rich dead twigs and withered leaves， producing their love babies. Again and again， new life cycle begins.
Tenebrionidae in the Desert
The beetles are strong in bearing toughness， especially Tenebrionidae. Summer desert is a huge grill， whose surface temperature can reach 60 ～ 70 ℃. Horrible temperature even can even cook an egg， not to mention a variety of small insects.
But if you really braved the scorching sun and come to the desert， you will always find dashing black beetle quickly run in front of you and these beetles are Tenebrionidae. In the sun exposure， after walking a little while in the desert， you will find the ground too hot and your body dying of thirst. Then how can these Tenebrionidae survive in the desert？
In fact， humans worry too much！ Tenebrionidae are not afraid of thirst for their coleoptera form big arches， leaving between the elytra and abdomen huge storage space. When the clammy morning or occasional rain comes， dew or rain fall on their back， and drops of water will flow along the edge of their wings and abdomen， and then penetrate into the space below the coleopteran. In this case， their coleoptera becomes a water bag. In case of emergency they can drink water to prevent excessive dehydration of the body and getting dead.
Of course， in addition to the water bag storage， it can also act as an insulation board. We should not forget that the desert sun is very strong and the sands are very hot. Tenebrionidae coleoptera can be used against the sun above， preventing the body from being boiled. It can withstand the high temperature of the head； then how does it resist the high temperatures of the sand？ By running fast in the desert， Tenebrionidae reduces the contact time of the body， so that the soles of the feet get the chance to cool. Seeing this， we people really have to sigh： beetles have evolved so well. Predacious Diving Beetles in the Water
Beetles are terrestrial animals， freely living on land life， while some beetles， though not having gills， are able to live in water. This is a bit strange. Do not worry， some beetles have unique skills， and they are called predacious diving beetles.
Predacious diving beetles usually live in freshwater streams or streams， it is named because the ancients found that this beetle live in the water， hence were diving parasites of dragons. This kind of beetles feed on fish and shrimp. In order to have a sufficient quantity of fish， they often sneak into the deep water. In this case， their coleoptera becomes an oxygen bottle， leaving a space between the elytra and abdomen with oxygen stored in this space. When they dive deep and are unable to breath， this special oxygen bottle can timely release the oxygen to ensure their breathing.
Beside the pond before the arrival of summer thunderstorm， often you can see a lot of beetles coming up for breath. They surfaced， while their bottom is exposed to exchange fresh air， then "whoosh"， they dive for their prey. On the surface， leaving a string of bubbles of gas they exchange.
Tiger Beetles on the Beach
A tiger beetle is a kind of medium-sized carnivorous beetles， big eyes， long teeth， but also with saw teeth. Because of being fierce when preying on other insects， they are called tiger beetles. They are one of the most famous hunters in the insect family.
They often patrol at riverside and on the beach， staring with their big sparkling eyes， once finding targets， they can quickly calculate the travel distance of the track， make immediate and quick attack. Before noticing， preys have already been bitten firmly by tiger beetles. Within seconds， the battle is over with the prey becoming a cuisine in the tiger beetle’s mouth. This perfect predator action is staged every day.
Excellent predation is inseparable from sprint speed. A tiger is a sprint champion among walking insects. Due to the fast speed， they can not take into account the surrounding environment， so while running， they will pause from time to time， observing surroundings， once everything is assured safe， they will continue running. If we try to catch them， they will rush for a while， ensuing distance from us， and stop， and run again when we are approaching its warning area， again and again. Not aware of this behavior of tiger beetles， the ancients thought tiger beetles are leading ways for us， hence calling them “which will in turn forward ran period， and repeatedly. A tiger does not know the ancients such behavior， that it is for people to lead the way， so to A tiger named "leader insects". In the breeding season of summer， tiger beetles will gather together in groups for mating. Next， female tiger beetles will find a remote and secure place， lay their eggs under the ground. A baby tiger beetle is born with predation， after the larvae hatch， it will dig a hole in the ground， and then hide inside. When meeting passing ants and other insects， it will suddenly attack them， slowly dragged them into the cave and enjoy them as cuisine. If there are threats from other insects， they will quickly hide in the hole， with a barb of its body stuck in the hole， others can not drag it out of the hole.
Tiger beetles almost have no predators in the insect world， because they are at the top of the food chain in the insect world. But they still have to be constantly on guard against the threat from the sky. Because a lot of birds feed on insects， tiger beetles are of no exception. When finding birds above them in the sky， they will quickly run into the bushes. If there is no grass around， they will get their body on the ground， motionless， relying on the body's protective coloration to hide from predators. Thanks to their protective body color and outstanding running ability， they can often successfully escape from predators.
Chrysocarabus in the Woodland
Many beetles are equipped with “Make-up mode”， shiny， in various colors， winning love and favorites of many insect collectors. And they are called Chrysocarabus.
In the earliest time， he ancients used these ancient beautiful shells to make crafts and jewelry， and worn on the body in order to demonstrate their status. But the beautiful color and metallic luster of these beetles do not exist to please mankind， in stead， they are protective coloration after evolution for their own survival.
They are generally active during the day， so there will be a lot of birds trying to have them as delicious lunch. Whenever birds are approaching， the body color of these beetles， under the sun's reflection， will become dazzling， making the birds unable to open their eyes. Then， the beetles took the opportunity to escape unharmed.
Furthermore， the metal mirror effect on these beetles can also maximize the sunlight reflection， in addition to anti-bird， it can also protect them from sun burns.
Longicorns in the Forest
On willows we can often see a kind of insect， with long antennae， black body， white spots， wandering around the trunk. This is a type of longicorn， whose scientific name is Anoplophora chinensis. The longicorn is a class of large beetle and its biggest feature is their long antennae， which is a very obvious characteristic. Longicorn is a type of well-known insects.
Many people in childhood has observed or captured beetles and be interested in them. When you catch it， it's head and chest will rub against each other， making a "crunching" sound and attempt to escape. However， please remember， when playing with it， be careful not to be bitten by their strong upper jaws！ That really hurts.
Longicorn is the saboteurs in the beetle family for its larvae eat trunks and branches， while adults eat leaves or twigs， affecting the growth of trees， hence making them weak， causing bacteria invade， and easily being broken by wind. When infested seriously， the whole tree might die because of these wood borers and thus lose value.
Thanks to the gift of nature， this summer， we have green grass， warm sun， breezing wind， cicada’s chorus singing， dancing butterflies， freely flying birds… Various plants， flowers， insects， and other natural spirit are enjoying the summer sun to bring them nutrition and moisture.
Today， we’ve get to know mighty hercules beetles， tough tenebrionidae， predacious diving beetles， beautiful chrysocarabus， cunning longicorns and hunter tiger beetles， but these are only a tip of iceberg in the beetle family.
Having evolved almost entirely from the age of dinosaurs， beetles’ wealth of species， different populations， interesting skills are fascinating. This summer， let us together to explore their mysteries together！
（Editor in charge： Li Yinhui）
Summer， all things prosperous. This season， the insects reach the year's most prosperous period. During this time， the most magnificent beetle family， which is known as summer’s “Armor Warrior” also become active！ However， most of the beetle can only survive a summer to finish the entire course of their life in this period. Despite of this， they still tenaciously live， completing their mission.
Now， let’s uncover the veil of warriors of beetles’ family， and have a sweet visit to these “Armor Elves” of summer！
Beetles， commonly known as the Bugs or Scarabs， have the scientific title of Coleoptera （Latin name Coleoptera）， consisting the largest group within the Insecta category. Currently there are 182 beetle families around the world， a total of about 400，000 kinds， more than the sum of all the other animals on the planet. Thanks to the hard armors on their backs， beetles can be so prosperous and successful on earth.
Beetles were born very early times on Earth， far away in hundreds of millions of years ago， even before the dinosaurs had been found. The most surprisingly， in the age of dinosaurs， many beetles’ families have been evolved completely， having not much difference in appearance from nowadays ones. With their body crustaceans evolved quite well， they play the role of real living fossils.
It is because of the protection of their crustaceans， beetles are able to live in various environments on the earth. So from which part of the body are these crustaceans formed？ They are mainly formed by a hard and thickened exoskeleton of them， especially forewings （in total beetles have two pairs of wings， forewings and hind wings）， which through evolution have become a dome shell of armor， protecting the softest belly and hind wings with larger surface. The wing-like crustaceans， we call them Coleoptera. In accordance with different types of beetles， Coleoptera structure and shape features are also changing.
Hercules beetles in the forest
Summer is known for its mighty Hercules beetles， which is a class of famous ornamental insects， and is named because of its great size and rhinoceros-like shape. Most male Hercules beetles have cornicult on their heads， while the females don’t.
Rhinoceros beetles have diverse types and are of highly great size in Southeast Asia and South America. The most common ones are atlas beetle， which is huge and has dark body， with a huge pectoral angle and horn， quite similar to Triceratops of ancient times. Meeting them， ladybugs often shun， hence it can be said that they have very deterrent effects. China's most famous Hercules beetles is called dichotoma， commonly known as the allomyrina. In the south， under the heat of the sun， it can often be seen that on the trunk， a few allomyrina gather together， licking the juice out of it. Sometimes， you can even see two male allomyrinas fighting each other with horns of each， most of the time， fighting for delicacies and pretty “girls”.
Once winning the battle， the winning side will triumphantly occupy the trunk sap， inviting its beloved girl to enjoy this cuisine together. In this case， the “violence” in the insect world seems to be problem-solving. After sharing the delicious sap， the female allomyrina will mate with the male one， and afterwards fly to a habitant with rich dead twigs and withered leaves， producing their love babies. Again and again， new life cycle begins.
Tenebrionidae in the Desert
The beetles are strong in bearing toughness， especially Tenebrionidae. Summer desert is a huge grill， whose surface temperature can reach 60 ～ 70 ℃. Horrible temperature even can even cook an egg， not to mention a variety of small insects.
But if you really braved the scorching sun and come to the desert， you will always find dashing black beetle quickly run in front of you and these beetles are Tenebrionidae. In the sun exposure， after walking a little while in the desert， you will find the ground too hot and your body dying of thirst. Then how can these Tenebrionidae survive in the desert？
In fact， humans worry too much！ Tenebrionidae are not afraid of thirst for their coleoptera form big arches， leaving between the elytra and abdomen huge storage space. When the clammy morning or occasional rain comes， dew or rain fall on their back， and drops of water will flow along the edge of their wings and abdomen， and then penetrate into the space below the coleopteran. In this case， their coleoptera becomes a water bag. In case of emergency they can drink water to prevent excessive dehydration of the body and getting dead.
Of course， in addition to the water bag storage， it can also act as an insulation board. We should not forget that the desert sun is very strong and the sands are very hot. Tenebrionidae coleoptera can be used against the sun above， preventing the body from being boiled. It can withstand the high temperature of the head； then how does it resist the high temperatures of the sand？ By running fast in the desert， Tenebrionidae reduces the contact time of the body， so that the soles of the feet get the chance to cool. Seeing this， we people really have to sigh： beetles have evolved so well. Predacious Diving Beetles in the Water
Beetles are terrestrial animals， freely living on land life， while some beetles， though not having gills， are able to live in water. This is a bit strange. Do not worry， some beetles have unique skills， and they are called predacious diving beetles.
Predacious diving beetles usually live in freshwater streams or streams， it is named because the ancients found that this beetle live in the water， hence were diving parasites of dragons. This kind of beetles feed on fish and shrimp. In order to have a sufficient quantity of fish， they often sneak into the deep water. In this case， their coleoptera becomes an oxygen bottle， leaving a space between the elytra and abdomen with oxygen stored in this space. When they dive deep and are unable to breath， this special oxygen bottle can timely release the oxygen to ensure their breathing.
Beside the pond before the arrival of summer thunderstorm， often you can see a lot of beetles coming up for breath. They surfaced， while their bottom is exposed to exchange fresh air， then "whoosh"， they dive for their prey. On the surface， leaving a string of bubbles of gas they exchange.
Tiger Beetles on the Beach
A tiger beetle is a kind of medium-sized carnivorous beetles， big eyes， long teeth， but also with saw teeth. Because of being fierce when preying on other insects， they are called tiger beetles. They are one of the most famous hunters in the insect family.
They often patrol at riverside and on the beach， staring with their big sparkling eyes， once finding targets， they can quickly calculate the travel distance of the track， make immediate and quick attack. Before noticing， preys have already been bitten firmly by tiger beetles. Within seconds， the battle is over with the prey becoming a cuisine in the tiger beetle’s mouth. This perfect predator action is staged every day.
Excellent predation is inseparable from sprint speed. A tiger is a sprint champion among walking insects. Due to the fast speed， they can not take into account the surrounding environment， so while running， they will pause from time to time， observing surroundings， once everything is assured safe， they will continue running. If we try to catch them， they will rush for a while， ensuing distance from us， and stop， and run again when we are approaching its warning area， again and again. Not aware of this behavior of tiger beetles， the ancients thought tiger beetles are leading ways for us， hence calling them “which will in turn forward ran period， and repeatedly. A tiger does not know the ancients such behavior， that it is for people to lead the way， so to A tiger named "leader insects". In the breeding season of summer， tiger beetles will gather together in groups for mating. Next， female tiger beetles will find a remote and secure place， lay their eggs under the ground. A baby tiger beetle is born with predation， after the larvae hatch， it will dig a hole in the ground， and then hide inside. When meeting passing ants and other insects， it will suddenly attack them， slowly dragged them into the cave and enjoy them as cuisine. If there are threats from other insects， they will quickly hide in the hole， with a barb of its body stuck in the hole， others can not drag it out of the hole.
Tiger beetles almost have no predators in the insect world， because they are at the top of the food chain in the insect world. But they still have to be constantly on guard against the threat from the sky. Because a lot of birds feed on insects， tiger beetles are of no exception. When finding birds above them in the sky， they will quickly run into the bushes. If there is no grass around， they will get their body on the ground， motionless， relying on the body's protective coloration to hide from predators. Thanks to their protective body color and outstanding running ability， they can often successfully escape from predators.
Chrysocarabus in the Woodland
Many beetles are equipped with “Make-up mode”， shiny， in various colors， winning love and favorites of many insect collectors. And they are called Chrysocarabus.
In the earliest time， he ancients used these ancient beautiful shells to make crafts and jewelry， and worn on the body in order to demonstrate their status. But the beautiful color and metallic luster of these beetles do not exist to please mankind， in stead， they are protective coloration after evolution for their own survival.
They are generally active during the day， so there will be a lot of birds trying to have them as delicious lunch. Whenever birds are approaching， the body color of these beetles， under the sun's reflection， will become dazzling， making the birds unable to open their eyes. Then， the beetles took the opportunity to escape unharmed.
Furthermore， the metal mirror effect on these beetles can also maximize the sunlight reflection， in addition to anti-bird， it can also protect them from sun burns.
Longicorns in the Forest
On willows we can often see a kind of insect， with long antennae， black body， white spots， wandering around the trunk. This is a type of longicorn， whose scientific name is Anoplophora chinensis. The longicorn is a class of large beetle and its biggest feature is their long antennae， which is a very obvious characteristic. Longicorn is a type of well-known insects.
Many people in childhood has observed or captured beetles and be interested in them. When you catch it， it's head and chest will rub against each other， making a "crunching" sound and attempt to escape. However， please remember， when playing with it， be careful not to be bitten by their strong upper jaws！ That really hurts.
Longicorn is the saboteurs in the beetle family for its larvae eat trunks and branches， while adults eat leaves or twigs， affecting the growth of trees， hence making them weak， causing bacteria invade， and easily being broken by wind. When infested seriously， the whole tree might die because of these wood borers and thus lose value.
Thanks to the gift of nature， this summer， we have green grass， warm sun， breezing wind， cicada’s chorus singing， dancing butterflies， freely flying birds… Various plants， flowers， insects， and other natural spirit are enjoying the summer sun to bring them nutrition and moisture.
Today， we’ve get to know mighty hercules beetles， tough tenebrionidae， predacious diving beetles， beautiful chrysocarabus， cunning longicorns and hunter tiger beetles， but these are only a tip of iceberg in the beetle family.
Having evolved almost entirely from the age of dinosaurs， beetles’ wealth of species， different populations， interesting skills are fascinating. This summer， let us together to explore their mysteries together！
（Editor in charge： Li Yinhui）