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order Coleoptera

order Coleoptera

1 9.1
A large group of insects that are beetles with hard front wings covering their flying wings
  • noun
  • /ˈɔrdər koʊˈliːəˌptərə/
  • Specialized
translation icon : orden Coleoptera
  • Many species in the order Coleoptera are important for ecosystems.

Examples

  • The order Coleoptera includes both ladybugs and scarab beetles.

  • The order Coleoptera includes a vast variety of beetles.

  • Entomologists study the order Coleoptera to better understand insect diversity.

  • Scientists estimate that the order Coleoptera contains more species than any other order of animals.

  • The order Coleoptera includes over 350,000 species of beetles around the world.

  • Scientists study the order Coleoptera to understand the diversity of beetles.

  • Beetles belong to the order Coleoptera, which is known for its hard forewings.

Synonyms

Coleoptera
vsorder Coleoptera
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A group of insects made of beetles with hard front wings that cover their flying wings

expresses the same meaning but shows the formal rank

Surface Forms

Morphology

order + Coleoptera

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.