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Beetle. An insect of the order Coleoptera characterized by having a pair of horny wing covers called elytra which meet in a straight line on the back. Beneath the covers is a single pair of membraneous wings, the tips of which are often folded transversely. The mouth parts are formed for biting. The beetles form a numerous group, more than eleven thousand species being knon in North America, exclusive of Mexico and Central America.