Plant Societies Botanical Gardens Hort. Beetles have chewing mouthparts and eat both plants and other insects. Beetles undergo a complete metamorphosis - from egg to larvae to pupa to adult. There are some 17,000 species in North America alone. Feeding habits vary widely, although most beetles consume plant material.
Most adults have a long, thin snout with chewing mouthparts at the end.
There are 3,000 or so species in this group in North America. All of the land dwellers prey on insects, and the group includes some of the fastest runners among beetles. Following are some of the more common beetles and the trees or areas they affect. Many beetles are specific to certain plants. The first line of defense against beetles is to hand pick them.