Beetles belong to the order Coleoptera, the largest insect group worldwide.
Ten of the largest families of beetles make up about 70% of the types of beetles in North America, which is thought to have about 30,000 species.
They are estimated to comprise between 300,000 and 450,000 species, including 40% of all insects and 25% of all animals on Earth.
Most of these beetles in North America have adapted to exist in every ecosystem on Earth except the coldest and harshest climates, which are sometimes uninhabitable for insects.
1. Ladybug
Ladybugs are first on our list of types of beetles in North America.
Ladybirds, usually ranging from 8 to 18 mm, are a common tiny beetle that is a helpful predator in home gardens.
Aphids, beetle larvae, and other soft-bodied plant-eating insects, together with leaves and fungi, are among their omnivorous diet.
Aphid colonies are where ladybirds lay their eggs to provide enough food for the developing larvae.
Over 450 species found in North America are distributed throughout Asia, Europe, and North America.
A few additional types of beetles in North America also have black, orange, yellow, and brown shells, but the most common type is distinguished by its brilliant red shell with black spots.
While most ladybird species are benign, some, like the squash and Mexican beetles, can harm crops.
2. Scarab
With over 30,000 species worldwide, including about 1,400 in the United States, scarabs are a sizable category of beetles in North America.
Because scarabs are the personification of the Egyptian sun deity Ra, they are most famous for being portrayed in films about ancient Egypt.
Due to the extraordinary sizes of some species that comprise this beetle class, they can vary in size from 1.5 to 160 mm.
They have oval bodies and are often glossy, with the occasional metallic aspect.
These types of beetles North America’s distinctive antennae aid in detecting scents and pheromones.
Their strong front legs are intended to help scarabs excavate their habitat and fend off predators. Scarabs generally consume carrion, excrement, and decomposing plant materials.
However, certain species of scarabs can cause harm to plants and other crops.
3. Dung Beetle
Dung beetles are also found in North America. Their size varies from 5 to 30 mm, and they can be found worldwide.
They live in burrows of various animal dung and consume animal waste.
Generally, they are either dark or black, while certain beetles in North America have more dazzling metallic exoskeletons.
4. June Beetle
The June beetle is a common scarab found throughout the eastern United States and Canada.
Its body and wings, which range from reddish brown to black, help identify it.
They are quite big, reaching lengths of 12 to 25 mm, and are frequently observed congregating in areas with strong lights.
They can harm the unharvested fruits they eat because these beetles in North America are rather destructive.
5. Japanese Beetle
Common scarabs, or Japanese beetles, are native to Japan but have become an invasive species in North America.
They harm more than 300 different garden plants and fauna species, making them possibly one of the most damaging beetles in the US.
If these beetles in North America are uncontrolled, the plants will swiftly die off as the adults devour the flowers and leaves, and the larvae consume the roots.
They have green bodies and heads and lustrous wings the color of copper.
They can reach a maximum length of 15 mm. Due to their exceptional flying abilities, they may quickly infest a broad region.
6. Hercules Beetle
Hercules beetles are among the biggest in the world and can be found across the Americas.
They are also frequently referred to as rhinoceros beetles because of their huge, projecting horns, which erupt from their heads and allow them to grow to a maximum length of 50 to 85 mm.
When it comes time to mate, this horn is meant to help victorious males overcome rivals for the attention of females.
They can also be recognized by their hard-wing covers, which can be brown, green, gray, or black.
These beetles in North America also have a dark head and vertically moving horn-like pincers.
Hercules beetles are harmless to humans despite their intimidating appearance and massive size.
7. Fireflies
Beetles, known as fireflies, can be distinguished from other types of beetles in North America by their unusual ability to illuminate their bodies briefly.
Their bodies undergo a chemical reaction that produces a bioluminescent flash as they enlarge to a
length of roughly 2.5 cm. There are more than 2,000 species that inhabit different types of ecosystems all around the planet.
These beetles are nocturnal in North America. They communicate with their mates, attract possible prey, and ward off predators with their flashing bodies.
Nectar or pollen, tiny soft-bodied insects, and other fireflies comprise a typical diet.
8. Figeater Beetle
Figeater beetles are distinguished by their huge, shiny green bodies and vivid orange sides. They can reach lengths of up to 3.2 cm.
Though these types of beetles in North America are sometimes mistaken for June beetles, they are a little bigger and more prevalent in the US Southwest than June beetles, which are more widespread in the eastern states.
They are typically observed flying around in people’s yards, mulch piles, and compost piles in search of rotting food.
9. Ground Beetle
There are about 2,000 species of ground beetles in North America out of approximately 40,000 worldwide.
They can range from 1 to 66 mm long and have a shiny or metallic black shell, the most frequent color.
They are frequently confused for cockroaches. However, they differ since they live underground, beneath rocks, leaves, and other detritus.
They can produce powerful excretions and have ridged wing covers as a defense.
They are also hunters, consuming many other insects such as worms, snails, slugs, and ants.
Tiger and bombardier beetles are two widespread ground beetles found throughout North America.
10. Tiger Beetle
There are thousands of different species of ground beetles, of which tigers are just one.
There are over 2,600 species of tiger beetles in this division, and they can be distinguished by their long, curved jaws and metallic shells.
Tiger beetles can run up to 5.5 mph while hunting, which is another amazing characteristic.
These types of beetles in North America can remove insects smaller than them so they can eat on them; they are between 10 and 20 mm long.
11. Bombardier Beetle
Among the many distinctive features of ground beetles are those of bombardier beetles.
They can combine two different caustic chemicals in a chamber inside their body to a boiling temperature, then discharge the mixture from their tail toward a possible threat or meal.
This mixture can burn human skin and kill smaller insects that it feeds on. In North America, these red-and-black types of beetles usually measure less than 2.5 cm.
They are everywhere, lurking behind leaves and rocks, for example.
12. Fiery Searcher Beetle
A type of ground beetle called the fiery searcher beetle is well-known for its ability to seek caterpillars.
Their metallic green wings and bright blue body and head help to identify them. They can grow to be 25–35 mm long.
These types of beetles in North America are skilled nocturnal hunters who target harmful pests for their meal.
They employ an intriguing defense technique whereby they eject an oil with a putrid, rotten milk-like scent.
13. Potato Beetle
Beetles, known as “potato bugs,” are native to Mexico and the United States.
Their vivid orange or yellow wings with ten black stripes help to identify them as they grow to reach between 6 and 11 mm in size.
Because they feed on garden-type nightshade plants, including tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, and peppers, these beetles harm crops in North America.
14. Striped Cucumber Beetle
The brilliant yellow body of the striped cucumber beetle, which has black stripes, helps identify it as a small insect ranging in length from 8 to 13 mm.
This bug can also wreak havoc on pumpkins, melons, and cucumbers.
They attack these plants in two ways: the grubs eat the roots and shoots of a plant, while the adults feed on the leaves and flowers.
If allowed to increase, these beetles in North America can swiftly destroy a garden by defoliating plants and spreading diseases that erode and eventually kill a plant.
15. Skin Beetle
Skin bugs are next on our list of types of beetles in North America employed to help clean bones.
They are sometimes referred to as flesh-eating beetles and taxidermy beetles.
They consume organic debris that is breaking down and possess the unusual capacity to break down keratin, which is present in human skin, hair, and nails.
Their bodies are lengthy, measuring from 10 to 25 mm, and colored red, brown, and black.
16. Carpet Beetle
Initially, carpet beetles have enormous bristled larvae that consume wool, textiles, linens, carpets, and even decomposing and dried-out organic waste.
Although many people mistakenly believe that the adult beetle consumes these materials, the damage is only caused by the larvae.
The issue is that certain carpet beetle species have larvae that can survive for up to three years.
There are almost 200 different species of carpet beetles, with the most prevalent types in North America being distinguished by a long, oval, black shell that ranges in size from 3 to 5 mm.
17. Jewel Beetle
Jewel beetles resemble bullet-shaped wood-boring insects and are sparkly. Their bodies can develop anywhere from 3 to 80 mm in size.
They earn their name because they are frequently metallic green, blue, purple, copper, or black.
Due to their destructive nature as wood borers, these types of beetles and their larvae seriously harm trees in North America.
As opposed to other wood-boring organisms, jewel beetles will attack live trees, eventually causing enough damage to destroy the tree.
Instead, they prefer to feed on decaying, dead, or dying trees. North America is home to more than 700 species, the most well-known and destructive of which is the invasive emerald ash borer beetle.
18. Sawyer Beetle
Longhorn beetles, or sawyer beetles, consume pines and coniferous trees as their food source.
Their long antennae and colors help them blend in, making them difficult to locate. They are between 40 and 65 mm long.
Their larvae are wood-boring organisms that eat dead and decaying trees and are typically found in thickly forested places.
These destructive types of beetles in North America can potentially destroy large amounts of trees and harm or destroy timber, rendering it unfit for commercial use.
19. Carrion Beetle
Carrion beetles are known to burrow under the skin of deceased animals, consuming the flesh before laying their eggs. They are also known as burying beetles.
These types of beetles in North America typically range in size from 9 to 30 mm, and they can fly to get to their next meal.
With more than 20 different species, they are widespread in North America.
20. Rove Beetle
Common beetles, or rove beetles, are a family member that includes around 63,000 species worldwide, 4,100 of which are found in North America.
While the most frequent species are usually between 2 and 7.5 mm, they can range in size from 1 to 35 mm.
In North America, these types of beetles come in various hues, including blue, green, yellow, brown, and black.
Rove beetles are distinguished by their elongated bodies with six or seven abdominal segments and shorter wing coverings.
Due to their preference for humid habitats, these beetles are more prevalent in the country’s Southeast, particularly surrounding lakes, rivers, and ponds.
Their diet comprises plants, insects, fungi, and decomposing organic materials like carrion and excrement.
21. Scarlet Lily Beetle
Scarlet lily beetles love to feed on the leaves of lily blooms, as their name suggests.
The most typical indication of these pests is wilted flowers and damaged leaves on lily plants.
These are small beetles in North America, measuring between 6 and 8 mm long. They have vivid red wings, black legs, and antennae.
They don’t have distinguishing patterns on their shells like ladybirds, save for a small black triangle where their thorax protrudes from behind their wings.
22. Drugstore Beetle
Drugstore beetles are tiny, flying brown beetles with a cylindrical body coated in tiny hairs. They range in length from 2.25 to 3.5 mm.
Because they feed on preserved dry items such as bread, cereal, and grains, they are also frequently referred to as biscuit beetles or bread beetles.
They have also been observed to consume seeds, paper, leather, and spices.
23. Stag Beetle
The most frequent way to identify stag beetles is by their huge pincers, which resemble a stag deer’s horns.
These beetles in North America measure between 5 and 12 cm in length. They are normally on the larger side and are black or brown.
Roughly 1,200 different species of stag beetles exist, and they feed on small, soft-bodied insects found in their environments or the sap of adjacent plants.
Stag beetles are normally docile animals, but when it comes time to mate, they use their big jaws to protect themselves from rivals and predators.
24. Soldier Beetle
Soldier beetles, also known as leatherwings, may be distinguished by their long, velvety, red wings, which they use to fly in search of food.
These good beetles in North America mostly consume pollen, nectar, and other insects that demolish plants, such as caterpillars and aphids.
Over 35,000 different species of soldier beetles may be found worldwide. Their colors can vary from yellow to brown to black, and their lengths can range from 1.5 to 28 mm.
Since these beetles in North America can’t fly quickly, they’ve evolved a defense mechanism whereby they discharge a harmful substance called cantharidin from pores all over their bodies.
25. Blister Beetle
The dangerous substance cantharidin is excreted by soldiers and blister beetles, which are related.
Their excrement has been known to produce blisters on human skin, which is why they are known as blister beetles.
It’s this same response that keeps lizards and birds from consuming them.
Blister beetles are found in over 7,500 species worldwide, and their leathery wings and dark coloring make them easily recognized.
They are ravenous omnivores that eat plants and other insects, growing to lengths up to 2.5 cm.
26. Whirligig Beetle
Ending our list of types of beetles in North America that live mostly in water are whirligig beetles.
Whirligigs get their name from swimming in circles when they feel threatened, which makes them more difficult to catch and increases the chance of attracting the attention of any adjacent fish.
More than 700 species can be distinguished by their 18 mm length, oval, dark body, and clubbed antennae.
These types of beetles consume other insects and occasionally even small fish that get too close in North America.
