Coleopterans (meaning sheath wings), or beetles, were a likely beneficiary of the great post-Permian extinction radiation. Beetles front pair of wings are modified to hardened casings, known as elytra, to protect the hind wings and body below. During these modern times perhaps nothing but microbes of Domains Eukarya and Archaea exceed Coleopteran diversity, since some 300,000 species of beetle are known (some 65,000 alone are weevils), and surely there are hundreds of thousand more to be discovered, especially in the rainforests. About 1/3 of all known insect species are Coleopterans.

Fossil Beetles
Weevil Family Curculionidae Oligocene - Miocene Dominican Republic There may be more species of beetles than of all other animals extant, and nearly half of all bettles are weevils	Aquatic Beetle Family Noteridae Lower Cretaceous Santana Formation, Brazil	9 mm Weevil Family: Curculionidae Eocene Green River Formation, Wyoming	Unknown Coleopteran in flight pose Eocene Green River Formation, Wyoming
Very colorful Platypodid beetles in Colombian amber Family: Platypodidae Pliocene to Pleastocene Andes Mountains, Colombia	Exceedingly Rare Ship Timber Beetle Lymexylonidae melittoma Pliocene to Pleastocene Andes Mountains, Colombia	Tumbling Flower Beetle Family Mordellidae Pliocene to Pleastocene Andes Mountains, Colombia When captured, they tumble around in comical fashion	Aquatic Beetle Family Dystiscidae Cretaceous Crato Formation, Brazil
Firefly Family: Lampyridae Pliocene to Pleistocene Andes Mountains, Colombia Contrary to popular belief, "firefly" and "lightning bug" are misnomers, as these beautiful insects are beetles. They are quite rarely found as amber inclusions.	Click Beetle Family: Elateridae Pliocene to Pleistocene Andes Mountains, Colombia This beetle with reticulated elytra (wing covers) is a click beetle whose claim to fame is the ability to snap the thorax in an attempt to slip from the grasp of a predator.	Tenebrionid beetles in Colombian amber. These beetles are distinguished by a "corrugated" exoskeleton". Family: Tenebrionidae	Weevil Family: Curculionidae Pliocene to Pleistocene Andes Mountains, Colombia Weevils are known to "play possum," falling to the ground motionless until a threat has passed.
Coleopteran in amber Pliocene to Pleistocene Andes Mountains, Colombia	Similar to, but not a lady bug beetle, in amber (5 mm) Pliocene to Pleistocene Andes Mountains, Colombia	Coleopteran in amber Pliocene to Pleistocene Andes Mountains, Colombia	8 mm long click beetle in amber Family: Elateridae Pliocene to Pleistocene Andes Mountains, Colombia
22 mm Rove beetle Family: Staphylinidae Pliocene to Pleastocene Andes Mountains, Colombia	Rare Cassidinae Pliocene to Pleastocene Andes Mountains, Colombia	Rove beetle Family: Staphylinidae Upper Eocene - Lower Oligocene Kaliningrad District, Russia	Unknown iridescent beetle Pliocene to Pleastocene Andes Mountains, Colombia
Rare Fire Beetle Family: Pyrochroidae Pliocene to Pleastocene Andes Mountains, Colombia	Rare Wireworms (click beetle larvae) Family: Elateridae Pliocene to Pleastocene Andes Mountains, Colombia	Pliocene to Pleastocene Andes Mountains, Colombia	Tumbling Flower Beetle Family Mordellidae Upper Eocene toLower Oligocene Kaliningrad District, Russia When captured, they tumble around in comical fashion
Red iridescent beetle in amber Pliocene to Pleistocene Andes Mountains, Colombia