What is the Difference Between Coleoptera and Lepidoptera

The key difference between Coleoptera and Lepidoptera is that Coleoptera is an order of insects consisting of beetles and weevils while Lepidoptera is an order of insects consisting of butterflies and moths.

Insects have proved to be the most successful arthropods on earth. Insects in the class Insecta of arthropods are the only invertebrate animals without backbones that have wings. The class Insecta of arthropods further divides into several orders. Coleoptera and Lepidoptera are two different orders of class Insecta.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Coleoptera  
3. What is Lepidoptera
4. Similarities – Coleoptera and Lepidoptera
5. Coleoptera vs. Lepidoptera in Tabular Form
6. FAQ – Coleoptera and Lepidoptera
7. Summary – Coleoptera vs. Lepidoptera

What is Coleoptera?

Coleoptera is the largest order of insects, representing approximately 40 % of known insect species. This order consists of beetles and weevils. There are about 360,000 species of Coleoptera. Many of them are large and most conspicuous insects. The insects in this order have brilliant metallic colours, showy patterns, and striking forms.

Coleoptera varies greatly in size, from millimetres to more than 200 mm in length. Coleoptera are found in nearly all climates, including Antarctica, subantarctic islands, close to the northern extremes in the Arctic, on many mountaintops, and in temperate environments. This order further groups into four subgroups such as Archostemata, Adephaga, Myxophaga, and Polyphaga. In general, beetles have a structure that consists of a hard exoskeleton, head, thorax, abdomen, two compound eyes, three pairs of jointed legs, and two antennae.

What is Lepidoptera?

Lepidoptera is an order of winged insects consisting of butterflies and moths. This order has about 180,000 species. It is the second largest insect order behind Coleoptera, with 126  families and 46 superfamilies.

Lepidopterans live on every continent except Antarctica, from arid deserts and high mountaintops to marshes and tropical rainforests. The adult butterfly has scales in the external body parts, head, thorax, abdomen, four wings, six legs, two compound eyes, antennae, and tail. Their size varies from a few millimeters long to 25 centimetres.

What are the Similarities Between Coleoptera and Lepidoptera?

• Coleoptera and Lepidoptera are two different orders of class Insecta of arthropods.
• Both are large orders of class Insecta.
• Both orders have winged insects.
• The insect species of both orders can be found in all environments.

What is the Difference Between Coleoptera and Lepidoptera?

Coleoptera is an order of insects consisting of beetles and weevils, while Lepidoptera is an order of insects consisting of butterflies and moths. Thus, this is the key difference between Coleoptera and Lepidoptera. Furthermore, Coleoptera is the largest order of the class Insecta, while Lepidoptera is the second largest order behind Coleoptera of the class Insecta.

The infographic below presents the differences between Coleoptera and Lepidoptera in tabular form for side-by-side comparison.

FAQ: Coleoptera and Lepidoptera

How do you identify a Coleoptera?

Coleoptera are identified by their hardened forewings, called elytra, which cover and protect the hindwings.

What defines Lepidoptera?

Lepidoptera is defined by the presence of scaled wings, with butterflies and moths belonging to this order of insects.

What are the mouthparts of Lepidoptera?

The mouthparts of Lepidoptera, which includes butterflies and moths, are adapted into a specialized structure called a proboscis. This proboscis is a long, tubular feeding organ used for sipping nectar from flowers.

Summary – Coleoptera vs. Lepidoptera

Phylum Arthropoda has several classes, such as Crustacea, Arachnida, Chilopoda, Diplopoda, and Insecta. Moreover, the class Insecta further divides into several orders such as Coleoptera, Neuroptera, Hymenoptera, Hymenoptera, Trichoptera, Lepidoptera, Siphonaptera, Mecoptera, and Strepsiptera. Therefore, Coleoptera and Lepidoptera are two different orders of class Insecta of arthropods. Coleoptera is an order of winged insects consisting of beetles and weevils, while Lepidoptera is an order of winged insects consisting of butterflies and moths. This summarizes the difference between coleoptera and lepidoptera.

Reference:

1. “Coleopteran.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, inc.
2. “Lepidoptera – An Overview.” ScienceDirect.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Coleoptera – Dung Beetle sp?” By julie burgher (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 DEED) via Flickr
2. “ComputerHotline – Lepidoptera sp. (by) (28)” By Thomas Bresson – Danaus gilippusUploaded by ComputerHotline (CC BY 2.0) via Commons Wikimedia