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 eastern screech owl or eastern screech-owl, is a small owl that is relatively common in Eastern North America, from Mexico to Canada. This species is native to most wooded environments of its distribution, and more so than any other owl in its range, has adapted well to manmade development, although it frequently avoids detection due to its strictly nocturnal habits.
The western screech owl is a small owl native to North and Central America, closely related to the eastern screech owl. The scientific name commemorates the American naturalist Robert Kennicott.
Scops owls are typical owls in family Strigidae belonging to the genus Otus and are restricted to the Old World. Otus is the largest genus of owls with 57 species. Scops owls are colored in various brownish hues, sometimes with a lighter underside and/or face, which helps to camouflage them against the bark of trees. Some are polymorphic, occurring in a greyish- and a reddish-brown morph. They are small and agile, with both sexes being compact in size and shape. Female scops owls are usually larger than males.
Fat Music Volume 3: Physical Fatness is the third compilation album released by the Fat Wreck Chords record label, in 1997.
The Puerto Rican owl or múcaro, formerly known as the Puerto Rican screech owl, is a nocturnal endemic owl of the archipelago of Puerto Rico. It is the only species placed in the genus Gymnasio of the family Strigidae. The subspecies G. n. newtoni, which was endemic to the Virgin Islands, was locally referred to as the cuckoo bird.
Dynastes is a genus of large beetles belonging to the family Scarabaeidae. They occur in the Nearctic realm and in the Neotropical realm, from the United States to Brazil; four North American species, three with distributions extending from Central America either north or south, and two species endemic to South America.
The whiskered screech owl is a small screech owl found in North and Central America.
The tropical screech owl is a small species of owl in the family Strigidae.
The Pacific screech owl is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is found in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Nicaragua. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forest, subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest, subtropical or tropical mangrove forest, and heavily degraded former forest.
The Middle American screech owl, also known as the Guatemalan screech owl, is a species of owl in the family Strigidae and is usually found in forests and dense second growth. The taxonomy of this species and the vermiculated screech owl can be confusing. When split, the name vermiculated screech owl is used for the population from eastern Nicaragua to Panama, and this species is found from northern Mexico to Nicaragua. When conspecific, the English name vermiculated screech owl is used, but M. guatemalae is used for the scientific name since it is older. The "guatemalae" larger conspecific group usually includes the foothill screech owl, M. roraimae and the Choco screech owl, M. centralis.
The rufescent screech owl is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is found in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. This is one of the larger species of screech owls, similar in size to the white-throated screech owl. The overall length is 25 to 29 cm and weight in males is 134–190 g (4.7–6.7 oz) and 140–273 g (4.9–9.6 oz) in females. Its coloration is sandy-brown above, vermiculated darker, the facial disc is sandy-brown, without a distinct rim. The flight feathers are barred cinnamon and dusky and the tail is cinnamon with darker brown bars. The hind crown has buffy-whitish border. It has honey-brown eyes and small ear tufts. The tarsi are feathered to the base of the toes. The Colombian screech owl was formerly considered a distinct species, but is now considered conspecific.
The chocolate-backed kingfisher is a species of kingfisher in the subfamily Halcyoninae which occurs in western Sub-Saharan Africa.
Screech owls are typical owls (Strigidae) belonging to the genus Megascops with 23 living species. For most of the 20th century, this genus was merged with the Old World scops owls in Otus, but nowadays it is again considered separately based on a range of behavioral, biogeographical, morphological, and DNA sequence data.
Odontotaenius floridanus is a beetle of the family Passalidae. It is endemic to Lake Wales Ridge in Florida.
Hygrobia is a genus of aquatic beetles native to Europe, North Africa, China and Australia. It is the only genus in the family Hygrobiidae, also known as the Paelobiidae. These are known commonly as squeak beetles or screech-beetles.
Vermiculation is a surface pattern of dense but irregular lines, so called from the Latin vermiculus meaning "little worm" because the shapes resemble worms, worm-casts, or worm tracks in mud or wet sand. The word may be used in a number of contexts for patterns that have little in common. The adjective vermiculated is more often used than the noun.
The foothill screech owl is considered a distinct species by some authorities, including the International Ornithologists' Union. It is found in forests and dense second growth at altitudes of 200–1,800 metres (660–5,910 ft) in northern and western South America. Its taxonomy is extremely complex and a matter of dispute.
The Chocó screech owl is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is found in humid lowland forests from central Panama to western Ecuador. As suggested by its name, a large part of its range is in the Chocó.
The vermiculated screech owl, is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. The taxonomy of this species and the Middle American screech owl can be confusing. When split, the name vermiculated screech owl is used for the population from eastern Nicaragua to Panama. When conspecific, the English name vermiculated screech owl is used, but M. guatemalae is used for the scientific name since it is older. Some taxonomists usually also include the "guatemalae" larger conspecific group with the foothill screech owl, M. roraimae and the Choco screech owl, M. centralis. Many authorities, including the American Ornithological Society, continue to call these species and M. guatemalae conspecific, while others, including the International Ornithologists' Union split them.
