This article classifies the subgroups of the order Coleoptera (beetles) down to the level of families, following the system in Volume 2 of American Beetles (2002) for all North American families (there were changes in the system between Vols. 1 & 2), and following Lawrence & Newton (1995) for extralimital taxa. A few subfamilies, tribes and synonyms are shown here where a family has been reclassified.
Order Coleoptera (beetles)
Suborder Adephaga Schellenberg, 1806
Amphizoidae LeConte, 1853
Aspidytidae Ribera, Beutel, Balke & Vogler, 2002
Carabidae Latreille, 1802 (ground beetles)
Dytiscidae Leach, 1815
Gyrinidae Latreille, 1802 (whirligig beetles)
Haliplidae Aube, 1836
Hygrobiidae Régimbart, 1878
Meruidae Spangler & Steiner, 2005
Noteridae C.G. Thomson, 1860
Rhysodidae Laporte, 1840
Trachypachidae C.G. Thomson, 1857
Suborder Archostemata Kolbe, 1908
Crowsoniellidae Iablokoff-Khnzorian, 1983
Cupedidae Laporte, 1836
Jurodidae Ponomarenko, 1985
Micromalthidae Barber, 1983 (telephone-pole beetle)
Ommatidae Sharp and Muir, 1912
Suborder Myxophaga Crowson, 1955
Hydroscaphidae LeConte, 1874
Lepiceridae Hinton, 1936
Sphaeriusidae Erichson, 1845 (=Microsporidae: Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature 57(3):, 182-184.)
Torridincolidae Steffan, 1964
Suborder Polyphaga Emery, 1886
Infraorder Bostrichiformia Forbes, 1926
Superfamily Bostrichoidea Latreille, 1802
Anobiidae Fleming, 1821
Ptininae, formerly Ptinidae Latreille, 1802
Bostrichidae Latreille, 1802
Lyctinae, formerly Lyctidae Billberg, 1820
Endecatominae, formerly Endecatomidae LeConte, 1861
Dermestidae Latreille, 1804
Thorictinae, formerly Thorictidae Agassiz, 1846
Jacobsoniidae Heller, 1926
Nosodendridae Erichson, 1846
Superfamily Derodontoidea LeConte, 1861
Derodontidae LeConte, 1861
Infraorder Cucujiformia Lameere, 1938
Superfamily Chrysomeloidea Latreille, 1802
Cerambycidae Latreille, 1802 (longhorn beetles)
Chrysomelidae Latreille, 1802 (leaf beetles) - includes Bruchidae and Cassidae
Megalopodidae Latreille, 1802
Orsodacnidae C. G. Thomson, 1869
Superfamily Cleroidea Latreille, 1802
Acanthocnemidae Crowson, 1964
Chaetosomatidae Crowson, 1952
Cleridae Latreille, 1802
Melyridae Leach, 1815
Phloiophilidae Kiesenwetter, 1863
Phycosecidae Crowson, 1952
Prionoceridae Lacordaire, 1857
Trogossitidae Latreille, 1802
Superfamily Cucujoidea Latreille, 1802
Alexiidae Imhoff, 1856
Biphyllidae LeConte, 1861
Boganiidae Sen Gupta and Crowson, 1966
Bothrideridae Erichson, 1845
Byturidae Jacquelin du Val, 1858
Cavognathidae Sen Gupta and Crowson, 1966
Cerylonidae Billberg, 1820
Coccinellidae Latreille, 1807 (ladybirds or lady beetles)
Corylophidae LeConte, 1852
Cryptophagidae Kirby, 1937
Cucujidae Latreille, 1802
Discolomatidae Horn, 1878
Endomychidae Leach, 1815
Merophysiinae, formerly Merophysiidae Seidlitz, 1872
Erotylidae Latreille, 1802
Helotidae Reitter, 1876
Hobartiidae Sen Gupta and Crowson, 1966
Kateretidae Erichson in Agassiz, 1846 (=Brachypteridae. ICZN Op., 1916, 1999).
Laemophloeidae Ganglbauer, 1899
Lamingtoniidae Sen Gupta and Crowson, 1966
Languriidae Crotch, 1873
Latridiidae Erichson, 1842
Monotomidae Laporte, 1840
Rhizophaginae, formerly Rhizophagidae Redtenbacher, 1845
Nitidulidae Latreille, 1802
Passandridae Erichson, 1845
Phalacridae Leach, 1815
Phloeostichidae Reitter, 1911
Propalticidae Crowson, 1952
Protocucujidae Crowson, 1954
Silvanidae Kirby, 1937
Smicripidae Horn, 1879
Sphindidae Jacquelin du Val, 1860
Superfamily Curculionoidea Latreille, 1802
Anthribidae Billberg, 1820
Attelabidae Billberg, 1820
Belidae Schönherr, 1826
Aglycyderinae, formerly Aglycyderidae Wollaston, 1864
Oxycoryninae, formerly Oxycorynidae Schönherr, 1840
Brentidae Billberg, 1820
Apioninae, formerly Apionidae Schönherr, 1823
Caridae Thompson, 1992
Curculionidae Latreille, 1802 (snout beetles and true weevils)
Scolytinae, formerly Scolytidae Latreille, 1807
Ithyceridae Schönherr, 1823 (New York weevil)
Nemonychidae Bedel, 1882
Superfamily Lymexyloidea Fleming, 1821
Lymexylidae Fleming, 1821
Superfamily Tenebrionoidea Latreille, 1802
Aderidae Winkler, 1927
Anthicidae Latreille, 1819
Archeocrypticidae Kaszab, 1964
Boridae C. G. Thomson, 1859
Chalcodryidae Watt, 1974
Ciidae Leach, 1819 (=Cisidae)
Melandryidae Leach, 1815
Meloidae Gyllenhal, 1810 (blister beetles)
Mordellidae Latreille, 1802
Mycetophagidae Leach, 1815
Mycteridae Blanchard, 1845 (palm beetles and flower beetles)
Hemipeplinae, formerly Hemipeplidae Lacordaire, 1854
Oedemeridae Latreille, 1810
Perimylopidae St. George, 1939
Prostomidae C. G. Thomson, 1859
Pterogeniidae Crowson, 1953
Pyrochroidae Latreille, 1807
Cononotini or Cononotidae
Pedilinae, formerly Pedilidae Lacordaire, 1859
Pythidae Solier, 1834
Ripiphoridae Gemminger and Harold, 1870 formerly Rhipiphoridae
Salpingidae Leach, 1815
Elacatini or Elacatidae
Inopeplinae, formerly Inopeplidae Grouvelle, 1908
Scraptiidae Mulsant, 1856
Stenotrachelidae C. G. Thomson, 1859
Cephaloinae, formerly Cephaloidae LeConte, 1852
Synchroidae Lacordaire, 1859
Tenebrionidae Latreille, 1802 (darkling beetles)
Alleculinae, formerly Alleculidae Laporte, 1840
Lagriinae, formerly Lagriidae Latreille, 1825
Nilionini or Nilionidae Lacordaire, 1859
Petriini or Petriidae
Tetratomidae Billberg, 1820
Trachelostenidae Lacordaire, 1859
Trictenotomidae Blanchard, 1845
Ulodidae Pascoe, 1869
Zopheridae Solier, 1834
Colydiinae or Colydiini, formerly Colydiidae Erichson, 1842
Monommatinae or Monommatini, formerly Monommatidae or Monommidae Blanchard, 1845
Infraorder Elateriformia Crowson, 1960
Superfamily Buprestoidea Leach, 1815
Buprestidae Leach, 1815
Schizopodidae LeConte, 1861
Superfamily Byrrhoidea Latreille, 1804
Byrrhidae Latreille, 1804
Callirhipidae Emden, 1924
Chelonariidae Blanchard, 1845
Cneoglossidae Champion, 1897
Dryopidae Billberg, 1820
Elmidae Curtis, 1830
Eulichadidae Crowson, 1973
Heteroceridae MacLeay, 1825
Limnichidae Erichson, 1846
Lutrochidae Kasap and Crowson, 1975
Psephenidae Lacordaire, 1854
Ptilodactylidae Laporte, 1836
Superfamily Dascilloidea Guerin-Meneville, 1843
Dascillidae Guérin-Méneville, 1843 (1834)
Rhipiceridae Latreille, 1834
Superfamily Elateroidea Leach, 1815
Artematopodidae Lacordaire, 1857 (=Eurypogonidae)
Brachypsectridae Leconte and Horn, 1883
Cantharidae Imhoff, 1856
Cerophytidae Latreille, 1834
Drilidae Blanchard, 1845
Elateridae Leach, 1815 (click beetles)
Cebrioninae, formerly Cebrionidae Latreille, 1802
Eucnemidae Eschscholtz, 1829
Lampyridae Latreille, 1817 (fireflies)
Lycidae Laporte, 1836
Omalisidae Lacordaire, 1857
Omethidae LeConte, 1861
Phengodidae LeConte, 1861 (glowworms)
Plastoceridae Crowson, 1972
Podabrocephalidae Pic, 1930
Rhinorhipidae Lawrence, 1988
Telegeusidae Leng, 1920
Throscidae Laporte, 1840 (=Trixagidae)
Superfamily Scirtoidea Fleming, 1821
Clambidae Fischer, 1821
Decliniidae Nikitsky et al., 1994
Eucinetidae Lacordaire, 1857
Scirtidae Fleming, 1821 (=Helodidae)
Infraorder Scarabaeiformia Crowson, 1960
Superfamily Scarabaeoidea Latreille, 1802
Belohinidae Paulian, 1959
Bolboceratidae Laporte de Castelnau, 1840
Ceratocanthidae White, 1842 (= Acanthoceridae)
Diphyllostomatidae Holloway, 1972
Geotrupidae Latreille, 1802
Glaphyridae MacLeay, 1819
Glaresidae Semenov-Tian-Shanskii and Medvedev, 1932
Hybosoridae Erichson, 1847
Lucanidae Latreille, 1804 (stag beetles)
Ochodaeidae Mulsant and Rey, 1871
Passalidae Leach, 1815
Pleocomidae LeConte, 1861
Scarabaeidae Latreille, 1802
Dynastinae, formerly Dynastidae MacLeay, 1819 (rhinoceros beetles)
Trogidae MacLeay, 1819
Infraorder Staphyliniformia Lameere, 1900
Superfamily Hydrophiloidea Latreille, 1802
Histeridae Gyllenhal, 1808
Hydrophilidae Latreille, 1802
Georyssinae, formerly Georyssidae Laporte, 1840
Sphaeritidae Schuckard, 1839
Synteliidae Lewis, 1882
Superfamily Staphylinoidea Latreille, 1802
Agyrtidae C.G. Thomson, 1859
Hydraenidae Mulsant, 1844
Leiodidae Fleming, 1821 (=Anisotomidae)
Platypsyllinae Ritsema, 1869 or Leptinidae
Ptiliidae Erichson, 1845
Cephaloplectinae, formerly Limulodidae Sharp, 1883
Scydmaenidae Leach, 1815
Silphidae Latreille, 1807
Staphylinidae Latreille, 1802 (rove beetles)
Scaphidiinae, formerly Scaphidiidae Latreille, 1807
Pselaphinae, formerly Pselaphidae Latreille, 1802
† Suborder Protocoleoptera
Superfamily Tshekardocoleoidea
Tshekardocoleoidae
Labradorocoleoidae
Oborocoleoidae
Superfamily Permocupedoidea
Permocupedidae
Taldycupedidae
Superfamily Permosynoidea
Ademosyndidae
Permosynidae
