On the following pages are detailed lists of the characteristics of each order to help you distinguish between them. Beetles have chewing mouthparts. Adults beetles have noticeable antennae. Larvae are sometimes called grubs. They have a hardened head capsule, and 3 pairs of legs on the thorax.
Beetles undergo complete metamorphosis.
Over 600,000 different species of beetles have been identified. Some of the typical beetles that you may see are the long-horned beetles and flatheaded borers. The larvae are elongate grubs that bore into trees, logs, firewood, cacti, and lumber. The long-horned beetles are named for their long antennae as adults. Examples of long-horned beetles are the palo verde borer, and the cactus borer.