The Coleoptera collection maintains one of the largest collections of any type in Africa. Approximately 1,5 million specimens representing 102 families are present. Significant holdings are present from southern Africa, southern South America, Australia and the Palaearctic region.  A family list for each of these areas is under development.

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The word "Coleoptera" means sheath wing and describes the nature of the beetles. With a few exceptions, adults have two pairs of wings, the front pair hardened into strong, protective covers called elytra and the soft hind wings, which they use for flying. The order Coleoptera is the largest order of all living organisms with an estimated 360 000 described species in some 23 000 genera. The main character of beetles is their hard wing-cover that provides for their soft body a safe micro-environment under the cover. This might be one of the reasons for their exceptional success.   

Beetles of Africa poster (For sale at the Museum)

Collecting & Preserving Insects (Manual for sale at Museum)
                 

 They inhabit all climatological areas from the tropical belt to the arctic and deserts. Only the open seas are void of beetles. Their size ranges between 0,2 millimeters to 20 centimeters. 
 All beetles undergo a complete metamorphosis. Their eggs hatch into grubs, some of which feed and grow for several years before pupating and becoming adults. Their main importance in nature is the re-cycling of organic matter to the soil. The thousands of dung beetles species accomplish this by depositing dung.  Tens of thousands of vegetation litter feeder species enrich the soil of forests and savannas. Others remove the corpses of dead vertebrates. Among plant feeders there are of course numerous species that act as pests on our crops. In fields of research the beetle's unique species richness under all environmental conditions help to assess the stability or deterioration of natural conditions. For example monitoring the beetle fauna of water bodies (rivers, lakes). If pollution happens, dozens of beetle species disappear from the water and from the shores, thus the severity of pollution can be estimated. The process is the same in dry-land conditions.

Scores of our beetle species became endangered mainly to the too small areas where they live. This can be the result of climatic changes or to humane activities. The protection of endangered beetle species in many countries is secured by strict legislations. In our country unfortunately this is not the case, due to the indifference to these small creatures. It is our and your duty to increase the appreciation for these wonderful insects.

The aspects of beetles

1) The main distinguishing characteristic of the Coleoptera (sheath-winged) is the hardened forewings (elytra) six legs and antennae. In some cases the forewings are reduced ,

2) "Sheath" refers to the elytra which forms a protective covering over the membranous hindwings and the relatively soft dorsal abdominal wall.

3) All beetles have complete metamorphoses, i.e. egg-larva (several instars)-pupa- adult. It is that feature, complete metamorphosis, in combination with the elytra which characterizes insects of the order Coleoptera.

4) In addition to providing food for amphibians, reptiles, fishes, birds and mammals, a role which they share with most other insects, beetles play other important roles in the environment. Many, cantharids, scarabs, byturids, and others, are pollinators). Dung beetles (scarabs, geotrupids, and others) feed on and reproduce in the dung of herbivores, thereby removing millions of tons of dung that would accumulate and destroy valuable pastureland and natural areas. Burying beetles (silphids) inter animal carcasses which are then used as food by the adults and their growing offspring thereby ridding the landscape of carcasses that would otherwise contaminate and foul the environment. Various nest-dwellers (including histerids, trogids, staphylinids) and fur ectoparasites (such as leiodids, leptinines) rid their bird and mammal hosts of parasitic insects, such as fleas, bed bugs, and lice. Some beetles are effective as biocontrol agents which predate plant-feeding insects. Among these are ladybug beetles (coccinellids) which feed on aphids and scale insects. The Vedalia ladybug beetle in California reduced the scourge of the cottony cushion scale (Icerya purchasi). Carabid beetles, such as the "caterpillar-hunters" (Calosoma, Carabus spp.) are often helpful in reducing populations of harmful caterpillars, such as gypsy moth and budworm caterpillars. Firefly larvae (glowworms) eat slugs and snails which damage such crops as tomatoes and lettuce.

Order COLEOPTERA

Suborder: ARCHOSTEMATA

Cupedidae

Micromalthidae

Suborder: MYXOPHAGA

Hydroscaphidae

          Microsporidae

Torridincolidae

Sphaeriidae

Suborder: ADEPHAGA

Superfamily: Caraboidea

Paussidae

Rhysodidae

Carabidae

Cicindelidae

Haliplidae

Gyrinidae

Dytiscidae

Suborder: POLYPHAGA

Superfamily: Hydrophiloidea

Hydraenidae

Spercheidae

Hydrochidae

Georyssidae

Hydrophilidae

Superfamily: Histeroidea

Histeridae

Superfamily: Staphylinoidea

Ptiliidae

Leiodidae

Silphidae

Scaphidiidae

Scydmaenidae

Staphylinidae

Pselaphidae

Superfamily: Eucinetoidea

Clambidae

Eucenetidae

Helodidae

Superfamily: Dascilloidea

Dascillidae

Rhipiceridae

Superfamily: Scarabaeoidea

Acanthoceridae

Geotrupidae

Lucanidae

Passalidae

Trogidae

Hybosoridae

Scarabaeidae

Superfamily: Byrrhoidea

Byrrhidae

Superfamily: Dryopoidea

Heteroceridae

Limnichidae

Dryopidae

Elmidae

Superfamily: Buprestoidea

Buprestidae

Superfamily: Elateroidea

Throscidae

Trixagidae

Elateridae

Eucnemidae

Superfamily: Cantharoidea

Drilidae

Lampyridae

Cantharidae

Lycidae

Superfamily: Dermestoidea

Dermestidae

Thorictidae

Superfamily: Bostrychoidea

Lyctidae

Bostrychidae

Anobiidae

Ptinidae

Superfamily: Cleroidea

Trogossitidae

Cleridae

Melyridae

Superfamily: Lymexyloidea

Lymexylidae

Superfamily: Cucujoidea

Phalacridae

Biphyllidae

Erotylidae

Cryptophagidae

Sphindidae

Silvanidae

Languriidae

Nitidulidae

Rhizophagidae

Passandridae

Boganiidae

Cucujiidae

Coccinellidae (Lady-bird beetle)

Corylophidae

Cerylonidae

Ciidae

Endomychidae

Discolomidae

Lathridiidae

Mycetophagidae

Colydiidae

Zopheridae

Tenebrionidae (Tok-tokkie)

Monommidae

Salpingidae

Melandryidae

Scraptiidae

Oedemeridae

Aderidae

Anthicidae

Mordellidae

Rhipiphoridae

Stylopidae

Meloidae (Blister beetle)

Mycteridae*

Hemipeplidae*

Superfamily: Chrysomeloidea

Bruchidae

Cerambycidae (Long-horn beetle)
Chrysomelidae

Superfamily: Curculionoidea

Oxycorinidae

Anthribidae

Urodontidae

Brentidae

Attelabidae

Apionidae

Curculionidae