Brown or black, hard shells, and pincers - you know what a beetle looks like, right? Or do you? In fact beetles come in all sorts of astounding shapes, sizes and colours. Some are even furry and look supremely cute. But while you might not want to give any of these a cuddle, they may just change the way you think about beetles.
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Beetles are insects from the order of Coleoptera, that usually have wings and hard wing cases. The Coleoptera makes up 25 per cent of all known animal species, with more being discovered every day. Discover 12 of the most astounding-looking beetles and what makes them so special.
13 astounding-looking beetles
Sunburst diving beetle
It is said that bifocals were dreamed up a couple of centuries ago by Benjamin Franklin But the larva of the sunburst diving beetle Thermonectus marmoratus, an attractive native of southern America and Mexico, might stake an earlier claim to the invention - it's the only animal known to have naturally bifocal vision. It is also pretty beautiful with its yellow and black body.
Golden tortoise beetle
This tiny leaf beetle (Charidotella sexpunctata) is a little jewel of a beetle that can change its colour. Though they vary from reddish-brown to gold, when they feel threatened they can change to a vibrant red - which gives a strong signal to predators.
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It is not only shaped like a tortoise but it can also pull its legs, head and antennae under their shells to protect them, just like an actual tortoise. Another trick it has of putting off predators is covering itself in its own poo. It is mainly found in North and South America and loves to eat sweet potato leaves.
Glow-worms
Everyone knows about glow-worms, but why are they on this list? Well, they are actually beetles - Lampyris noctiluca - found in Europe and Asia. The common glowworm is an amazing beetle - with a glowing tip at the end of its body. Female glow worms don't have wings, while the males do, but both glow, although the male glow is dimmer. The glow itself is created by a chemical reaction within its body.
Golden-bloomed grey longhorn beetle
This incredible beetle looks so furry and has antennae that can be longer than its body. These helpful things are used to seek out mates and food.
The golden-bloomed grey longhorn beetle, or Agapanthia villosoviridescens loves damp meadows and grasslands and is common in this country. You can spot them by identifying the yellow line running across its centre. There are 35,000 species of longhorn beetle found throughout the world.
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Giraffe weevil
You might be able to guess what this amazing beetle looks like just from hearing its name. The giraffe weevil has an incredibly long neck, but it's not used for reaching up to plants like its namesake. The giraffe weevil uses its extra long neck for fighting and attracting females. The males have the longer neck - about twice as long as the females, who are very good at building. Trachelophorus giraffa live mostly on trees in Madagascar.
Glorious scarab
There are many beetles in the scarab family - around 30,000 species in fact and they live all over the world. The glorious scarab or Chrysina gloriosa is found in North and South America, and loves juniper trees. Its amazing body is green with silver stripes and it has earned its place in this list for exactly those colours.
Trilobite beetle
While this is one of the least attractive beetles on this list, it's certainly one of the more intriguing. The trilobite beetle or Platerodrilus paradoxus is found in south east Asia and looks like something from the age of the dinosaurs. The females have the strong exoskeleton, but no wings, whereas the males have wings but look significantly different.
Acorn weevil
Most weevils have long snouts but this one takes the biscuit. The acorn weevil, or Curculio glandium, loves ripening acorns, which is where it lays its eggs. Drilling a hole in the acorn, the female acorn weevil lays her egg and then plugs up the hole with her own poo.
Alpine longhorn beetle
We know there's already a longhorn beetle on this list, but the alpine longhorn beetle, or Rosalia longicorn, couldn't really be missed off. It has amazing blue markings on its body which serve very well as camouflage on beech trees.
Jewel beetle
The jewel beetle is also called the metallic wood-boring beetle, or Chrysochroa rajah. It has stunning iridescent colours that range from green to blue and sometimes with spots and stripes. They can be found in Asia.
May bug
The May bug is also known by the name common cockchafer and is easily seen in spring in the UK. But its incredible fanned antennae has earned it a place on this list. They are the UK's largest scarab beetle and are clumsy fliers, which means one may have already bumped into you. The May bug, or Melolontha melolontha emerges as an adult in May.
Ladybird
We couldn't have a list of amazing-looking beetles without a space for one of our most beautiful. The most common ladybird, or Coccinellidae, is the 7 spot lady bird, and it's a very helpful beetle to have in your garden. Ladybirds are big eaters of aphids, which in turn like to eat plants. Ladybirds can have as many as 24 spots, but, unlike people often believe, the spots aren't indicative of their age.
Asparagus beetle
This leaf beetle looks amazing, but does like to chomp through - yes you guessed it - asparagus plants. Asparagus beetles, or Crioceris asparagi, are amazingly colourful, however, and despite them being classified as a pest in many places, we think they have earned a place on this list.
