order Coleoptera
- noun
- /ˈɔrdər koʊˈliːəˌptərə/
- Specialized
- Many species in the order Coleoptera are important for ecosystems.
Examples
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The order Coleoptera includes both ladybugs and scarab beetles.
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The order Coleoptera includes a vast variety of beetles.
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Entomologists study the order Coleoptera to better understand insect diversity.
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Scientists estimate that the order Coleoptera contains more species than any other order of animals.
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The order Coleoptera includes over 350,000 species of beetles around the world.
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Scientists study the order Coleoptera to understand the diversity of beetles.
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Beetles belong to the order Coleoptera, which is known for its hard forewings.
Synonyms
A group of insects made of beetles with hard front wings that cover their flying wings
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase simply names a taxonomic category by combining 'order' (a biological grouping) with 'Coleoptera' (the established name for the beetle order), so its meaning is directly and compositionally derivable from the constituents. This is a regular, cross-linguistically common naming pattern in scientific taxonomy, making it transparent to learners who know both words.
Etymology
Order Coleoptera comes from two old Greek words: koleos meaning 'sheath' and ptera meaning 'wings'. The picture of 'sheathed wings' — the hard front wings that cover the flying wings — explains why this name now refers to the group of beetles.