Coleoptera (Beetles)
Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Coleoptera
Beetles are the most numerous group of animals on the planet in terms of described species with over 350,000 named so far. They all have a hardened shield-like forewing which closes up to form the beetles back. They are found in a wide range of terrestrial and freshwater habitats.
For more information on coleopterans in general click here
Trinidad & Tobago Beetles
Thousands of species have been recorded from these islands but the records are scattered throughout many papers covering the different families. Local beetles range in size from the giant longhorn beetle Callipogon armillatus (240mm long including horns and legs) to the tiny Stephanoderes sp. (2-3mm long).
For detailed species lists for some of the Coleoptera families found in T&T see these following papers:
Tortoise Beetles - Cassidiniae
For profiles of selected species click here
UWIZM Collections
In the collection there are four cabinets from the CABI collection and five from the UWI and ICTA collections from over 50 different families. Specimens were collected from the 1920’s onwards in Trinidad, South America and the Caribbean.Over 3,300 specimens from the families Scarabidae, Chrysomelidae and Cerambycidae have been catalogued but there are still many families and specimens to go.
Highlights
Drawer of Scarab beetles
Macrodontia cervicornis a giant longhorn beetle
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Last updated 21 June 2018
