Cockroach vs. Beetle

Main Difference

There are thousands of insects which exist in the wild which belong to different families and have variable shapes and sizes, very often though, it happens that we come across a species which looks similar and term it to be a particular type of insect. It is the case with most people and one cannot be blamed since most of the insects look alike, may even have the same color but in reality are totally opposite from each other. Two such insects are cockroaches and beetles and their variations will be discussed in this topic. The first difference between the two is that cockroaches are hated all over the world while beetles are neither loved not hated. This leads us to the second difference which is that cockroaches are mostly found in dirty places and even homes while beetles can exist at a variety of places. Another one is that beetles exist in a number of types and have over 400 thousand species which make them one of the biggest incest family. On the other hand, cockroaches do not have that many and ends up around 3000 different types. The color of beetles is also variable and can be found in different colors, including red, yellow, black and even while. Cockroaches do not have that luxury and are mostly in the maroon red shade. One other thing that differentiates them is that beetles go through the complete cycle of metamorphosis while cockroaches have incomplete cycles of metamorphosis. That said, cockroaches are larger in size as compared to beetles who do not have one size and can be found in microscopic as well as larger sizes, though they are always smaller than the cockroaches. Another thing that is an advantage for cockroaches is that they get to live longer as compared to beetle. Actually they have one of the biggest life span when it comes to insects. There are many other differences between them as well which will be explained later, for now a brief explanation of both these insects is given below.

Difference Between Cockroach and Beetle

Comparison Chart

Definition of Cockroach

They belong to the family known as Blattodea which also has termites in it and has a few thousand different species. That said, they are restricted in many ways. For example, in the places they can live. They are mostly found in areas which have not been used for a long period of time and have to survive on other sources for food and surviving. They do have a big life span which is one of the longest when it comes to insects. They are usually disliked by the humans because of their existence in homes especially storerooms and toilets. They can fly too which gives them an advantage and have a body which is stiffer from the top and helps them to survive other insect’s attack.

Definition of Beetle

These are a big group of insects which has 0.4 million different species in itself and therefore has a lot of variety. They can survive in different areas and can be found in the rooms of a house, in woods, even in jungles and open areas including water. They have different colors and can be seen in shades of red, yellow, green and even black and silver. They have a short life span but can adapt for different climates easily. They do have wings in some cases but are not always able to fly frequently. Many insects are usually termed as beetle and according to one estimate 40% of the insects are termed as beetles.

Conclusion

Although the two terms are related to each other as they are from the same family, still there are many differences between the two which have been detailed here. It gives an idea of how they make changes among themselves to stay unique among their family and exited people who want to know more about organisms.