Beetle

Beetles were insects found in many places and variations on Toril, often in giant sizes.

Biology
Most species of beetle lacked good eyesight or hearing. Because of this, they primarily relied upon their tactile and taste senses. The latter was done by means of their antennae.

Species

 * Aratha, otherwise known as "killer beetles," were a rare species of psionic beetle that had been hunted to near-extinction.
 * Bark beetles were a mundane species of beetle found in the forests of Cormanthor. They were known to burrow underneath the bark of trees and treants to lay their eggs inside.
 * Death watch beetle
 * Emperor beetles were an extremely rare species of giant beetle, prized for their iridescent shells.
 * Giant bombardier beetles were able to emit an acid cloud that burned enemies.
 * Giant boring beetles were large and favored eating wood.
 * Giant fire beetles were about nocturnal insects. They had two glands, one above each eye, that produced a red glow.
 * Giant rhinoceros beetles were a monstrous variety of rhinoceros beetle, typically found in tropical or subtropical jungles.
 * Giant scarab beetles, which could be up to long, were found in many locations in the Underdark.
 * Giant stag beetles were a monstrous variety of stag beetles.
 * Shrub beetles were a mundane species of beetle known in Cormanthor for jumping into River Ashaba to cool off, but sinking and drowning.
 * Slicer beetles were a rare species of giant beetle that bore a resemblance to the giant stag species, but were distant relatives of death watch beetles.
 * Stink beetles could produce miasmal stench in self-defense.
 * Water beetle

Diet
In general, these creatures were liable to eat almost any form of organic matter tasted by their antennae, even other species of beetle. Each species tended to have dietary preferences. Those that lived in the Underdark were often fungivores.

Giant beetles ground and crushed whatever they ate with their mandibles, making it difficult to revive consumed organisms.

Habitats
Shrub beetles were found in Cormanthor. Bombardier, boring, fore, and stag beetles were typically found in midwood. A wide variety of giant beetles could be found in the Underdark.

Outside of the Prime Material plane, giant beetles could be found living in the trunk of Yggdrasil the World Ash.

Relationships
Some races within the Underdark kept giant beetles as livestock. They were one of the many Underdark creatures that the duergar of Fraaszummdin raised and trained, which they used to defend their city.

The military of Thay sometimes outfitted its soldiers with giant beetles as mounts.