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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Beetles (Coleoptera) » Water, Rove, Scarab, Long-horned, Leaf and Snout Beetles (Polyphaga) » Series Cucujiformia » Fungus, Bark, Darkling and Blister Beetles (Tenebrionoidea) » Darkling Beetles (Tenebrionidae)

Family Tenebrionidae - Darkling Beetles

Classification · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Explanation of Names · Numbers · Size · Identification · Range · Habitat · Food · Remarks · Works Cited

Oenopion zopheroides (Horn) - Oenopion zopheroides

small Darkling Beetle - Platydema nigratum

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Coleoptera (Beetles)

Suborder Polyphaga (Water, Rove, Scarab, Long-horned, Leaf and Snout Beetles)

No Taxon (Series Cucujiformia)

Superfamily Tenebrionoidea (Fungus, Bark, Darkling and Blister Beetles)

Family Tenebrionidae (Darkling Beetles)

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

Includes Alleculidae (Comb-clawed Beetles) and Lagriidae (Long-jointed Beetles)

This site follows the classification of Bouchard et al. (2005)(1)

Please do not reorder subfamilies and tribes!

Explanation of Names

Tenebrionidae Latreille 1802

see Tenebrio

Numbers

one of the largest insect families, with ~1200 spp. in ~190 genera of 7 subfamilies in our area and almost 20,000 spp. in ~2300 genera of 9 subfam. worldwide(2)(3)(4); ca. 225 spp. east of the Mississippi River(5) and almost 5 times as many in the West(6) [~450 in CA alone(7)]

Overview of our faunaTaxa not yet in the guide are marked (*)

Family Tenebrionidae

Subfamily LAGRIINAE

Tribe Lagriini Arthromacra · Statira

Tribe Goniaderini Anaedus · Eschatoporis · Paratenetus · Prateus

Tribe Belopini Adelonia · Rhypasma

Subfamily PHRENAPATINAE

Tribe Penetini Clamoris · Dioedus

Subfamily PIMELIINAE

Tribe Anepsiini Anchomma · Anepsius · Batuliomorpha · Batuliodes · Batulius

Tribe Asidini(8) *Ardamimicus · Craniotus · *Ferveoventer · Litasida · Microschatia · Pelecyphorus · Philolithus · Stenomorpha

Tribe Branchini Branchus

Tribe Cnemeplatiini Alaudes · Lepidocnemeplatia

Tribe Cnemodinini Cnemodinus

Tribe Coniontini Coelus · Coniontis · Conisattus · Eusattus

Tribe Cryptoglossini Asbolus · Cryptoglossa · Schizillus

Tribe Edrotini Armalia · Auchmobius · Chilometopon · Cryptadius · Edrotes · Eschatomoxys · *Eurymetopon · Hylocrinus · Melanastus · Metoponium · Micromes · Oxygonodera · Steriphanus · Stibia · Telabis · Texaponium · Trichiotes · Trimytis · Triorophus · Triphalopsis

Tribe Epitragini Bothrotes · Conoecus · Cyrtomius · Epitragodes · Epitragosoma · Lobometopon · Metopoloba · Pechalius · Phegoneus · Polemiotus · Schoenicus

Tribe Nyctoporini Nyctoporis

Tribe Stenosini Araeoschizus · Typhlusechus

Tribe Vacronini Alaephus · Eupsophulus

Subfamily TENEBRIONINAE

Tribe Bolitophagini Bolitophagus · Bolitotherus · Eleates · Megeleates · Rhipidandrus

Tribe Tenebrionini Bius · Idiobates · Neatus · **Rhinandrus · Tenebrio · Zophobas

Tribe Centronopini Centronopus · Scotobaenus

Tribe Alphitobiini Alphitobius · Metaclisa

Tribe Triboliini Hypogena · Latheticus · Lyphia · Mycotrogus · Palorus · Tharsus · Tribolium · Ulomina

Tribe Ulomini Eutochia · Uloma

Tribe Helopini Helops · Nautes · Tarpela

Tribe Amarygmini Cymatothes · Meracantha

Tribe Cerenopini Argoporis · Cerenopus

Tribe Eulabini Apsena · Epantius · Eulabis

Tribe Apocryphini Apocrypha

Tribe Blaptini Blaps

Tribe Amphidorini Eleodes · Eleodimorpha · Embaphion · Lariversius · Neobaphion · Trogloderus

Tribe Pedinini Subtribe Platynotina Alaetrinus • Subtribe Leichenina Leichenum

Tribe Opatrini Aconibius · Ammodonus · Blapstinus · Bycrea · Conibiosoma · Conibius · Cybotus · Ephalus · Gonocephalum · Mecysmus · Nocibiotes · Notibius · Opatroides · Pseudephalus · Trichoton · Ulus

Tribe Melanimonini Cheirodes

Subfamily ALLECULINAE

Tribe Alleculini Subtribe Alleculina Alethia · Hymenorus · Knausia · Lobopoda · *Madreallecula · Menoeceus · *Phedius · Stenochidus · Telesicles • Subtribe Gonoderina Andrimus · Androchirus · Capnochroa · Isomira · Onychomira · Pseudocistela · Tedinus • Subtribe Mycetocharina Hymenochara · Mycetochara • Subtribe Xystropodina *Anamphidora · Lystronichus

Subfamily DIAPERINAE

Tribe Diaperini Subtribe Adelinina Adelina · Alphitophagus · Cynaeus · Doliodesmus · Gnatocerus · Iccius · Sitophagus • Subtribe Diaperina Diaperis · Liodema · Neomida · Pentaphyllus · Platydema · Ulomoides

Tribe Gnathidiini Tyrtaeus

Tribe Scaphidemini Scaphidema

Tribe Crypticini Gondwanocrypticus · Poecilocrypticus

Tribe Phaleriini Phaleria · Phaleromela

Tribe Hypophlaeini Corticeus

Tribe Myrmechixenini Myrmechixenis

Tribe Trachyscelini Trachyscelis

Subfamily STENOCHIINAE

Tribe Cnodalonini Alobates · Apsida · Cibdelis · Coelocnemis · Glyptotus · Haplandrus · Iphthiminus · Merinus · Oenopion · Polopinus · Polypleurus · Upis · Xylopinus

Tribe Stenochiini Strongylium

Tribe Talanini Talanus

Size

1-80 mm(2); in our area, usually 2.5-20 mm(5)

Identification

One of the most diverse animal families.

Usually dark, a few colored and/or patterned, sometimes with red. Body shape variable--elongated to more oval, usually flattened. Many large species are flightless and have fused elytra. Characteristics of Tenebrionidae:

first abdominal sternite entire, not divided by hind coxae (unlike Carabidae)

eyes usually notched

antennae variable [thread-like (filiform), bead-like (moniliform), or clubbed], typically 11-segmented, with insertion concealed from above

tarsal formula 5-5-4:

Larvae are cylindrical and hard-bodied, called "false wireworms" because they resemble click beetle larvae

Range

worldwide and throughout NA, much more diverse in the west

Checklists: Maritime Canada(9); MD(10), OH(11), WI(12)

Habitat

Typically found under stones, decaying logs, bark, on bracket fungi, or on the ground. A few species diurnal, found in open. Many species are adapted to desert conditions.

Food

Many are scavengers of plant material as both adults and larvae. Some attracted to carrion, dead insects, dung. Some feed on fungus, often found under bark. Some are pests of stored grain and of insect collections.

Remarks

Many species have chemical defenses

Works Cited

1.	Synoptic classification of the World Tenebrionidae (Insecta: Coleoptera) with a review of family group names Bouchard, P., J. F. Lawrence, A. E. Davies, & A. F. Newton. 2005. Annales Zoologici 55(4): 499–530.

2.	American Beetles, Volume II: Polyphaga: Scarabaeoidea through Curculionoidea Arnett, R.H., Jr., M. C. Thomas, P. E. Skelley and J. H. Frank. (eds.). 2002. CRC Press LLC, Boca Raton, FL.

3.	Smith A.D. tenebrioniDBase

4.	Order Coleoptera Linnaeus, 1758. In: Zhang Z.-Q. (ed.) Animal biodiversity: An outline of higher-level classification... Ślipiński S.A., Leschen R.A.B., Lawrence J.F. 2011. Zootaxa 3148: 203–208.

5.	The Darkling Beetles of Florida and Eastern United States

6.	Peterson Field Guides: Beetles Richard E. White. 1983. Houghton Mifflin Company.

7.	The Tenebrionidae of California: a time sensitive snapshot assessment Aalbu R.L., Smith A.D. 2014. ZooKeys 415: 9-22.

8.	Phylogenetic revision of the North American Asidini (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) Smith A.D. 2013. Systematic Entomology 38: 585–614.

9.	The Tenebrionidae (Coleoptera) of the Maritime Provinces of Canada Majka C.G., Bouchard P., Bousquet Y. 2008. The Canadian Entomologist 140: 690-713.

10.	A checklist of the darkling beetles (Insecta: Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) of Maryland... W.E. Steiner, Jr. 2008. Bulletin of the Biological Society of Washington 15: 133-140.

11.	Ohio's tenebrionid fauna Triplehorn C. 1993. The Ohio Coleopterist 2(2).

12.	Tenebrionidae of Wisconsin

Contributed by Troy Bartlett on 16 February, 2004 - 12:32pm
Additional contributions by cotinis, Stephen Cresswell, Phillip Harpootlian, Mike Quinn, v belov
Last updated 26 June, 2017 - 12:36am

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