Book 4, Question 42
Why Do Beetles Have Hard Shells?
Beetles have hard shells because their front wings are hardened into tough covers called elytra that protect the flying wings underneath.
Those shiny covers on a beetle are armor! They are the front wings, changed into a hard case. The case protects the soft flying wings folded underneath.
Quick answers
What is an exoskeleton?
A skeleton on the outside.
Sources: BBC, Science News Explores, Smithsonian Magazine
From the book
Page from A Million Whys Book 4
More fun facts
- A beetle's hard outer covering is its exoskeleton, a skeleton on the outside.
- A beetle's front wings are hardened into tough covers called elytra.
- The diabolical ironclad beetle has a shell so tough it can survive being run over by a car.
- Because it cannot fly away from danger, this beetle relies on its super strong armor.
- Its shell is so hard that collectors' steel pins will not go through it.
- Ridges in its shell lock together tightly around its vital organs.
Sources: BBC, Science News Explores, Smithsonian Magazine
Questions kids ask
Can a beetle survive being stepped on?
Some can. The diabolical ironclad beetle can even survive being run over by a car.