The following table presents information on some of the differences between the different suborders of beetles.
| Polyphaga | Archostemata | Myxophaga | Adephaga | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| cervical sclerites | present | absent | absent | absent |
| propleuron | internallized as a cryptopleuron, often fused to trochantin | external, notopleural sutures usually visible | external, notopleural sutures usually visible | external, notopleural sutures usually visible |
| hind coxae | usually moveable | moveable | moveable | fused to metasternum |
| first visible abdominal sternum | undivided | undivided | undivided | divided by hind coxae |
| wing apex spirally folded | no | yes | yes | no |
| oblongulum cell in hind wing | absent | present | present | present |
| major transverse wing fold crosses MP/CU | no | yes | yes | yes |
| pygidial defense glands | absent or present | absent | absent | present |
| testes | multiple follicles | multiple follicles? | tubular | tubular |
| ovarioles | telotrophic | polytrophic | ? | polytrophic |
| sex chromosomes with parachute? | yes (most species) | no | no | no (possibly in a very few species) |
| larval leg articles | 4+claw | 5+claw | 4+claw | 5+claw |
