Many are found near water or at lights. Most can be collected by sweeping vegetation. Forewings hard, thickened, leathery or brittle, meeting in a straight line down the middle of the abdomen. FW do not overlap at all in most cases. Elytra serve only as protective sheaths, while the HW are used for flight.
Most beetles have very hard, tough structured exoskeletons.
Small, wingless ectoparasites of mammals and birds. Body covered with numerous spines and bristles. Commonly found on dogs, cats and rodents. Preserve in alcohol or mount on points. Head prolonged into a snoutlike beak.