Omnivorous Beetles - Polyphaga

Omnivorous Beetles - Polyphaga

The name of this suborder, Polyphaga, means "eaters of many things." This is an appropriate name for this large suborder, which includes vegetarians, carrion-eaters, cannibals, dung-feeders, and carnivorous forms.

The Polyphaga are thought to be the highest suborder on the evolutionary ladder of the Coleoptera. At the bottom is the suborder Archostemata, consisting of survivors of ancient forms. The Adaphaga, it is thought, after rapidly reaching the peak of their evolutionary development, are at a standstill as far as ability to produce new forms is concerned. The Polyphaga, on the other hand, have displayed the ability to produce an incredible variety of forms. As a result, we can find these beetles in a wide range of climatic and environmental conditions.

In members of the Polyphaga, the first visible abdominal sternum is not divided where the hind legs join the body. The second segment of the hind leg is small. There is no suture between the upper and lower parts of the prothorax.