Editing Beetle (section)

===As beneficial resources===
[[File:Lady-beetle-close-up.jpg|thumb|left|''[[Coccinella septempunctata]]'', a predatory beetle beneficial to agriculture]]

Beetles can be beneficial to human economics by controlling the populations of pests. The larvae and adults of some species of [[lady beetle]]s ([[Coccinellidae]]) feed on [[aphid]]s that are pests. Other lady beetles feed on [[scale insect]]s, [[whitefly]] and [[mealybug]]s.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/beneficial/lady_beetles.htm |title=Insecta: Coleoptera: Coccinellidae |publisher=Institute of Food and Agricultural Services, [[University of Florida]] |date=2014 |access-date=2017-02-12}}</ref> If normal food sources are scarce, they may feed on small [[caterpillar]]s, young [[plant bug]]s, or [[honeydew (secretion)|honeydew]] and [[nectar]].<ref name="BBC news">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/essex/3715120.stm|title='Deadly ladybird' sighted in UK |date=October 5, 2004 |work=BBC News|access-date=June 17, 2010}}</ref> [[Ground beetle]]s (Carabidae) are common [[predator]]s of many insect pests, including fly eggs, caterpillars, and wireworms.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Kromp, B. |year=1999 |title=Carabid beetles in sustainable agriculture: a review on pest control efficacy, cultivation aspects and enhancement |journal=[[Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment]] |volume=74 |issue=1–3 |pages=187–228 |doi=10.1016/S0167-8809(99)00037-7|bibcode=1999AgEE...74..187K }}</ref> Ground beetles can help to control [[weed]]s by eating their seeds in the soil, reducing the need for [[herbicide]]s to protect crops.<ref>{{Cite web| title = Beetles play an important role in reducing weeds| publisher = Rothamsted Research| access-date = March 14, 2017| url = http://www.rothamsted.ac.uk/news/beetles-play-important-role-reducing-weeds| archive-date = July 3, 2018| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180703050543/https://www.rothamsted.ac.uk/news/beetles-play-important-role-reducing-weeds| url-status = dead}}</ref> The effectiveness of some species in reducing certain plant populations has resulted in the deliberate introduction of beetles in order to control weeds. For example, the genus ''[[Calligrapha]]'' is native to North America but has been used to control ''[[Parthenium hysterophorus]]'' in India and ''[[Ambrosia artemisiifolia]]'' in Russia.<ref name='ISC'>{{cite web |url=http://www.cabi.org/isc/datasheet/57506 |title=''Zygogramma bicolorata'' (Mexican beetle) |date=2012 |publisher=Invasive Species Compendium |access-date=2017-02-12}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |author1=Kovalev, O. V. |author2=Reznik, S. Y. |author3=Cherkashin, V. N. |date=1983 |title=Specific features of the methods of using ''Zygogramma'' Chevr. (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae) in biological control of ragweeds (''Ambrosia artemisiifolia'' L., ''A. psilostachya'' D.C.) |journal=Entomologicheskoe Obozrenije |language=ru |volume=62 |pages=402–408}}</ref>

[[Dung beetles]] (Scarabidae) have been successfully used to reduce the populations of pestilent flies, such as ''[[Musca vetustissima]]'' and ''[[Haematobia exigua]]'' which are serious pests of cattle in [[Australia]].<ref name='Bornemissza'>{{cite journal |author=Bornemissza, George |author-link=George Bornemissza |date=1970 |title=Insectary Studies on the Control of Dung Breeding Flies by the Activity of the Dung Beetle, ''Onthophagus Gazella'' F. (Coleoptera: Scarabaeinae) |journal=[[Australian Journal of Entomology]] |volume=9 |pages=31–41|doi=10.1111/j.1440-6055.1970.tb00767.x |doi-access=free }}</ref> The beetles make the dung unavailable to breeding pests by quickly rolling and burying it in the soil, with the added effect of improving soil fertility, tilth, and nutrient cycling.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Brown, Jacqueline |author2=Scholtz, Clarke H. |author3=Janeau, Jean-Louis |author4=Grellier, Seraphine |author5=Podwojewski, Pascal |name-list-style=amp |year=2010 |title=Dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) can improve soil hydrological properties |journal=Applied Soil Ecology |volume=46 |issue=1 |pages=9–16 |doi=10.1016/j.apsoil.2010.05.010|hdl=2263/14419 |hdl-access=free }}</ref> The [[Australian Dung Beetle Project]] (1965–1985), introduced species of dung beetle to Australia from South Africa and Europe to reduce populations of ''Musca vetustissima'', following successful trials of this technique in [[Hawaii]].<ref name='Bornemissza'/> The [[American Institute of Biological Sciences]] reports that dung beetles, such as ''[[Euoniticellus intermedius]]'', save the United States cattle industry an estimated US$380&nbsp;million annually through burying above-ground livestock feces.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Losey, John E. |author2=Vaughan, Mace |year=2006 |url=http://www.xerces.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/economic_value_insects.pdf |title=The economic value of ecological services provided by insects |journal=BioScience |volume=56 |issue=4 |pages=311–323 |doi=10.1641/0006-3568(2006)56[311:TEVOES]2.0.CO;2 |s2cid=2970747 |access-date=July 17, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180619202116/http://www.xerces.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/economic_value_insects.pdf |archive-date=June 19, 2018  }}</ref>

The [[Dermestidae]] are often used in [[taxidermy]] and in the preparation of scientific specimens, to clean soft tissue from bones.<ref>{{cite book |editor=Huffman, Jane E. |editor2=Wallace, John R. |year=2012 |title=Wildlife Forensics: Methods and Applications |volume=6 |series=Developments in Forensic Science |edition=2nd |publisher=[[John Wiley & Sons]] |isbn=978-1-119-95429-3 |chapter=Forensic entomology and wildlife |author1=Tomberlin, Jeffery K. |author2=Sanford, Michelle R. |pages=81–107 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EstjD_GgFvQC&pg=PT123}}</ref> Larvae feed on and remove cartilage along with other soft tissue.<ref>{{cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxYrVEJp3kY | archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211116/VxYrVEJp3kY| archive-date=2021-11-16 | url-status=live|title=Dermestid Beetles working on a female Black Bear skull |year=2014 |access-date=2017-01-26}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |doi=10.1016/j.geobios.2006.06.006 |title=Experimental taphonomy in museums: Preparation protocols for skeletons and fossil vertebrates under the scanning electron microscopy |journal=Geobios |volume=41 |pages=157–181 |year=2008 |last1=Fernández-Jalvo|first1=Yolanda |last2=Monfort |first2=Maria Dolores Marín|issue=1 |bibcode=2008Geobi..41..157F }}</ref>