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Beetles

A glittering beetle, with colors ranging from orange to purple to green. It had one large backwards facing horn on its head, and two ridges on its back.
All About Dung Beetles and Why They Matter
Dung beetles are a key component of a healthy ecosystem, in both natural and agricultural areas!
First grader's crayon drawing of endangered tiger beetles
Stratford Elementary's First Graders Take a Stand for Tiger Beetles
First-grade students from Stratford Elementary School campaigned for the endangered Ohlone tiger beetle and raised over $5,000 for the Xerces Society.
American burying beetle in soil
This Beetle Buries the Dead
Burying beetles are experts at detecting the odor of death—and putting it to good use.
A close up of a firefly. The firefly is mostly black, with some red patches behind its head and pale brown edges to its shell. It is standing on a narrow green leaf as it flashes its green light.
World Firefly Day: Watch Us, Don’t Catch Us!
World Firefly Day will take place over the weekend of July 3 and 4. In addition to celebrating these magical insects, it also draws attention to conservation issues, particularly the threat from tourism.
In daylight, most fireflies don't look so magical. This big dipper firefly is mostly black, with pale brown margins to it's body and a red patch on the top of it's thorax.
Shedding Light on Firefly Natural History and Distributions through Community Science
Gathering habitat and distribution information about lesser-known species is a mammoth task, made easier by the observations submitted by individuals participating in community science projects. You can help, too!
A female firefly flashes from her perch on the tip of a curving twig
Hope Rising: World Firefly Day
World Firefly Day takes place from July 4–5 this year. Launched by the Fireflyers International Network, this year’s theme is Hope Rising. Quite literally, a light in the darkness, fireflies have inspired hope and given a sense of magic for centuries.
An orange-and-black striped checkered beetle foraging on yellow flowers
Notes from the Other Orders: Beetles as Pollinators
When we think about pollinators, the first species to pop into mind are usually bees, butterflies, and maybe, hummingbirds. But pollinators are a much broader group of animals that encompasses species from several groups of insects, including beetles such as like soldier beetles, scarabs, long-horned beetles, sap beetles, and checkered beetles.
Meandering yellow-green streaks weave through a darkening forest with a thick understory of ferns, in this long-exposure shot of fireflies.
Conserving the Jewels of the Night
Introducing the Xerces Society’s firefly conservation campaign: Conserving the Jewels of the Night.
People are crouched, planting native species in a new beetle bank in Iowa.
Pollinator Conservation Program Digest – August 2019
August’s featured staff members conducted a successful pollinator habitat workshop in Nebraska, and have been busy building beetle banks in Iowa.
wallingford sand plains
Connecticut’s Sand Plains Need Protection
Sand plains have been subjected to mining, development, and fragmentation, resulting in a loss of up to 95% of this habitat type. But these unusual environments are home to a number of rare plants and insects.

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