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Beetles are a group of insects that form the order Coleoptera, in the superorder Endopterygota. Their front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. The Coleoptera, with about 400,000 species, is the largest of all orders, constituting almost 40% of described insects and 25% of all known animal life-forms; new species are discovered frequently. The largest of all families, the Curculionidae (weevils), with some 83,000 member species, belongs to this order. Found in almost every habitat except the sea and the polar regions, they interact with their ecosystems in several ways: beetles often feed on plants and fungi, break down animal and plant debris, and eat other invertebrates. Some species are serious agricultural pests, such as the Colorado potato beetle, while others such as Coccinellidae eat aphids, scale insects, thrips, and other plant-sucking insects that damage crops.
The insects of the beetle family Chrysomelidae are commonly known as leaf beetles, and include over 37,000 species in more than 2,500 genera, making up one of the largest and most commonly encountered of all beetle families. Numerous subfamilies are recognized, but the precise taxonomy and systematics are likely to change with ongoing research.
The longhorn beetles (Cerambycidae), also known as long-horned or longicorns, are a large family of beetles, with over 26,000 species described, slightly more than half from the Eastern Hemisphere. Most species are characterized by extremely long antennae, which are often as long as or longer than the beetle's body. In various members of the family, however, the antennae are quite short and such species can be difficult to distinguish from related beetle families such as the Chrysomelidae. The scientific name of this beetle family goes back to a figure from Greek mythology: after an argument with nymphs, the shepherd Cerambus was transformed into a large beetle with horns.
Buprestidae is a family of beetles known as jewel beetles or metallic wood-boring beetles because of their glossy iridescent colors. Larvae of this family are known as flatheaded borers. The family is among the largest of the beetles, with some 15,500 species known in 775 genera. In addition, almost 100 fossil species have been described.
The valley and ridge salamander is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae endemic to the Appalachian Mountains in the eastern United States.
Nannarrup hoffmani, commonly known as Hoffman's dwarf centipede, is a species of centipede that was discovered in New York City's Central Park in 2002. It is 10 mm long, and has 82 legs. Researchers think that the species originated in East Asia and was carried to the United States in a shipment of imported plants. The species is the first new species to be discovered in Central Park in more than a century. It is, possibly, the smallest known species of centipede. The species is named after Dr. Richard L. Hoffman, former curator of invertebrates at the Virginia Museum of Natural History, for his role in helping to identify the species.
Lepturinae, the lepturine beetles, is a subfamily of the longhorn beetle family (Cerambycidae), containing about 150 genera worldwide. This lineage is most diverse in the Northern Hemisphere. Until recently the subfamily Necydalinae was included within the lepturines, but this has been recently recognized as a separate subfamily. Nine tribes are usually recognized today, with a tenth, Caraphiini, created in 2016. A few genera are of uncertain placement within the subfamily.
Coccinellidae is a widespread family of small beetles ranging in size from 0.8 to 18 mm. The family is commonly known as ladybugs in North America and ladybirds in Britain and other parts of the English-speaking world. Entomologists prefer the names ladybird beetles or lady beetles as these insects are not classified as true bugs.
Ziegleria is a genus of butterflies in the family Lycaenidae erected by Kurt Johnson in 1993. The species of this genus are found in the Neotropical realm.
Anthophylax viridis is the species of the Lepturinae subfamily in long-horned beetle family. This beetle is distributed in Canada, and United States.
Anthophylax cyaneus is the species of the Lepturinae subfamily in long-horned beetle family. This beetle is distributed in Canada, and United States.
Anthophylax attenuatus is the species of the Lepturinae subfamily in long-horned beetle family. This beetle is distributed in Canada, and USA. Adult beetle feeds on sugar maple, American beech, and on hophornbeam.
Neotrachys is a genus of beetles in the family Buprestidae, the jewel beetles. These are Neotropical beetles, and many are known to use ferns as their host plants.
Scaphinotus is a genus of beetles in the family Carabidae. There are at least 60 species, all native to North America. They eat snails and are generally limited to the moist environments where snails live. These beetles are flightless.
Anthophylax is a genus of beetles in the family Cerambycidae, containing the following species:
Richard Lawrence Hoffman was an American zoologist known as an international expert on millipedes, and a leading authority on the natural history of Virginia and the Appalachian Mountains. He was a biology professor at Virginia's Radford College for almost thirty years, and curator of invertebrates at the Virginia Museum of Natural History for another twenty years. He co-founded the Virginia Natural History Society, described over 400 species of millipedes, and produced more than 480 scientific publications. He is commemorated in the scientific and/or common names of over 30 animal species, including the valley and ridge salamander and Hoffman's dwarf centipede.
Scaphinotus hoffmani is a species of ground beetle in the family Carabidae. It is found in North America.
Andrognathus is a genus of North American millipedes in the family Andrognathidae, containing three species: A. corticarius, A. grubbsi, and A. hoffmani. The fossil species Andrognathus burmiticus is known from approximately 99 million year old Burmese amber from Myanmar, showing that the genus had a much wider distribution in the past.
Pseudanophthalmus hoffmani, or Hoffman's cave beetle, is a species of ground beetle in the family Carabidae. It is found in North America.
Tenguella hoffmani is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk, in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails.
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