Diversity and Morphology of Beetles: Advances, Challenges and Perspectives
A special issue of Diversity (ISSN 1424-2818).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 1 March 2026 | Viewed by 11
Special Issue Editors
Interests: diversity and faunistics of hypogean and soil-dwelling invertebrates; morphology, systematics, taxonomy, phylogeny, development and ecology of Coleoptera; photonic structures in insects; secretion in ground beetles; antimicrobial action of the pygidial gland secretions of ground beetles
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: morpho-anatomy, taxonomy and chemical ecology of ground beetles (Coleoptera, Carabidae); diversity and faunistics of soil-dwelling and cavernicolous beetles
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
With around 400,000 species, beetles (Coleoptera) are the most species-rich order of living organisms on our planet. On the other hand, this large and diverse group of insects is still insufficiently researched. The incredible diversity of beetles is due to a combination of factors, including a long evolutionary history, the ability to adapt to different niches, co-evolution with angiosperms and the presence of protective forewings called elytra. These features have enabled them to diversify extensively and dominate the insect world. Beetles are increasingly used as model organisms in scientific research, especially in biomedicine and environmental studies. In addition, their unique traits make them suitable for biomimicry research, particularly in the development of lightweight structures and energy absorption. As the diversity of beetles has not yet been comprehensively studied on a global scale and most previous research has focused primarily on faunal diversity, it is desirable to explore other dimensions of diversity within this insect group, including morphological, molecular, ecological, chemoecological, chemotaxonomic, and behavioural aspects. Although the main expertise of the Guest Editors lies in terrestrial beetles (epigean, endogean and troglobitic forms), studies on aquatic beetles are also welcome, encompassing representatives of the two major beetle suborders (Adephaga and Polyphaga). The Special Issue is dedicated to research on the diversity and morphology of all these groups. We hope that this Special Issue will enhance our understanding of the diversity of beetles across various biological disciplines, indicating their great ecological importance in their habitats and their general relevance to humans.
Prof. Dr. Srećko B. Ćurčić
Dr. Nikola Vesović
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Diversity is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2100 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- Coleopterans
- Adephaga
- Polyphaga
- epigean and endogean fauna
- troglobites
- biodiversity
- morphology
- endemism
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