Although beetles may appear cute and not appetizing, they are a crucial part of many animals’ diets. Despite their tough exoskeleton and excellent camouflage skills, beetles are hunted by various creatures such as mammals, amphibians, birds, fish, and reptiles. In this article, we will discuss the primary consumers of beetles and their habitats.
What Eats Beetles?
Beetles are a varied group of creatures that belong to the Coleoptera family, with more than 350,000 species found in almost all habitats on Earth. Rainforests, however, are home to a large number of beetle species, where they thrive in great numbers and provide sustenance for numerous predators.
Beetles are consumed by a remarkable range of predators, which vary in size and species. Mammals, birds, fish, and amphibians are among their enthusiastic admirers.
What Mammals Eat Beetles?
Beetles are a favorite snack for numerous mammals, including those whose diet consists mainly of these insects:
Hedgehogs
Several types of animals consume small insects, including insectivorous species that particularly enjoy beetles. Ground beetles, also called carabids, are a popular snack for these creatures. Additionally, some omnivorous hedgehogs incorporate beetles into their diet and consume different species of them.
Bats
Beetles are a common food source for most carnivorous and omnivorous bat species, particularly those living in temperate regions. These bats employ different hunting techniques to capture beetles, especially the ones that dig deep into the ground.
Beetles are often caught by various bat species while in flight, with some bats consuming or swallowing them mid-air, while others use their wings to capture larger beetles and fly away.
Skunks
Beetles and bees are part of the diet of skunks, especially in summer when these insects are on the ground searching for food; skunks can be found around farms and natural areas where they dig up beetles.
Foxes
Among other insects, foxes feed on beetles as they are omnivorous and opportunistic. Both foxes and beetles create burrows in grasslands for their homes, and it is in these areas where they come into contact with each other, with one becoming the predator and the other the prey.
Raccoons
Aside from scavenging in garbage bins, Raccoons have a preference for consuming Japanese beetles. Their fondness for these insects is so great that they can eradicate an entire population if there are no other food sources available.
What Amphibians Eat Beetles?
The majority of amphibians consume beetles that inhabit water sources like ponds, rivers, and swamps, which serve as habitats for various types of amphibians.
Nevertheless, certain amphibians that eats beetles have fallen prey to a cunning strategy employed by water beetles, who manage to escape through the rear exit after being ingested!
Frogs
Similar to foxes, frogs are versatile feeders and have a tendency to consume beetles, particularly those that flourish in moist habitats.
Toads
Beetles are consumed entirely by these creatures, who depend on their digestive fluids to eliminate and digest their food. However, a single species of beetle has adapted to resist this digestive process by emitting a substance that induces vomiting in toads, even after four hours of ingestion while still being alive!
What Birds Eat Beetles?
Beetles are a staple in the diet of certain bird species that prefer a primarily insect-based diet, rather than seeds.
Wrens
Beetles are a preferred food source for these skilled insect predators, found thriving in every state across the US, often taking refuge in brush piles to avoid both predators and prey.
Cardinals
In the summertime, beetles are a favored food source for these red birds who prefer to nest in shrub thickets to better hunt insects. Their chicks are primarily fed an insect-based diet to promote rapid growth.
Orioles
During the summer, Orioles transition from consuming only fruits in the winter to feeding on insects, with beetles being one of their preferred treats, along with grasshoppers and various types of insect larvae.
Beetle predators like Orioles tend to perch on high trees, allowing them to observe the activities of ground-dwelling creatures from a vantage point.
Bluebirds
Beetles are among the insects that Bluebirds, which are highly skilled insect predators in their natural habitat, consume throughout the year, along with other insects like moths and crickets.
Beetle predators, bluebirds prefer open fields with tall trees where they can perch and scan the ground for potential prey.
Nuthatches
Beetles and grasshoppers are among the insects consumed by these birds, which have red or white breasts and can be found throughout the United States. During the spring, they provide their offspring with food in the form of insects, while also using resin obtained from trees to stick together their cavity nests.
Titmice
Several types of Titmice are abundant in North America and mainly consume insects, including beetles, as well as seeds. They depend on their keen vision to capture insects moving across the ground.
Woodpeckers
Although peckers are known for their impressive ability to peck wood, they still require sustenance and primarily consume beetles and other crawling insects. They remain in a single location throughout the year, depleting the population of these bugs before relocating.
Sparrows
Beetles, moths, larvae, and other insects are caught by these birds in the early morning and evening when they are vulnerable, and then fed to their offspring.
Purple Martins
Purple Martins are excellent predators for gardens as they mainly consume airborne insects like beetles, dragonflies, moths, and grasshoppers. They prefer to live in groups, which is why they are often referred to as “Martin apartment complex.”
What Fish Eat Beetles?
Beetles are a common food source for fish, which have a strong desire for insects and often patrol shallow waters to prey on them. Several fish species consume beetles, such as
Blue Acara
A species of aquatic creatures found in freshwater rivers and lakes in tropical South America has a particular liking for hunting insects, including beetles, that reside on water lilies and other aquatic plants.
Tiger Barb
Beetles are among the insects that these fish, which have an omnivorous diet consisting of crustaceans, plant matter, and algae, can consume. They are highly recommended for home aquariums as they can survive on a variety of foods including dead beetles.
Do Reptiles Eat Beetles?
Many popular pet reptiles, such as the Bearded Dragon or Blue Tongue Skink, will also consume beetles on occasion. While they aren’t a primary part of their diet in captivity, these opportunistic eaters will gladly munch on a beetle now and then.
What Eats Beetles?
Beetles are a sought-after meal for numerous animals, including mammals, birds, amphibians, and even fish. Opportunistic mammals like Raccoons and Foxes consume beetles on land, while several species of birds feed on them as a source of energy.
Beetles are consumed by freshwater fish species as a supplementary food source, and predators find them to be an exceptional energy source, with birds frequently feeding them to their offspring.
What Else Eats What?
- Who eats hay?
- What eats snakes?
- What Beetles are preyed upon?
- What Beetles consume apples?
- Who eats rabbits?
References
- Insectivorous birds consume an estimated 400-500 million of prey annually. (2018) Pub med Central.
- Izabela et al. Fox and martens – are they really opportunistic feeders? A case of beetles and other arthropods occurrence in carnivores’ diet
You can also check this YouTube video about this topic:
[Wikipedia] [Encyclopedia Britannica] [National Geographic] [cdc.gov] [Purina]