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Bees, bugs and beetles
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Bees, bugs and beetles

This page is essentially for all insects other than butterflies and moths. Entomolgy is a large branch of zoology and we’re going to try to keep it simple. Apologies to the experts if you spot any glaring mistakes. Let us know.

So what’s the difference between a bug and a beetle? Perhaps one of the simplest differences is that bugs are mostly plant feeders that take a liquid diet and therefore they have needle or straw like mouthparts. Beetles eat a wide range of plant and animal materials and therefore have chewing mouthparts. The wings of bugs are either membranous or partially-thickened while the forewings of beetles serve as a hard covering and the hind wings are membranous.