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. This might be one of the reasons for their exceptional success. 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.