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Family Tenebrionidae - Darkling Beetles
Classification Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Coleoptera (Beetles)
Suborder Polyphaga (Water, Rove, Scarab, Longhorn, Leaf and Snout Beetles)
Superfamily Tenebrionoidea (Fungus, Bark, Darkling and Blister Beetles)
Family Tenebrionidae (Darkling Beetles)
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes Tenebrionidae Latreille 1802. Includes the traditionally segregated 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 Latin tenebrio 'one who loves darkness, a trickster' from tenebrae 'darkness' (2)(3)Numbers one of the largest insect families, with ca. 1200 spp. in ~190 genera in our area and almost 20,000 spp. worldwide (4); ca. 225 spp. east of the Mississippi River (5) and almost 5 times as many in the West (6)
Overview of our fauna:
Family TENEBRIONIDAE
Taxa not yet in the guide are marked (*)
Tribe Asidini Asidina, Asidopsis, Astrotus, Craniotus, Glyptasida, Gonasida, *Litasida, *Megasida, Microschatia, Parasida, Philolithus, *Pycnomorpha, Stenomorpha, Stenosides, Stethasida, Trichiasida
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 Opatrini Aconibius, Ammodonus, Blapstinus, Conibiosoma, Conibius, Cybotus, *Ephalus, Gonocephalum, Mecysmus, Nocibiotes, Notibius, Opatroides, Pseudephalus, Trichoton, Ulus
Tribe Cnodalonini Alobates, Apsida, Cibdelis, Coelocnemis, Glyptotus, Haplandrus, Iphthiminus, Merinus, Oenopion, Polopinus, Polypleurus, Upis, Xylopinus
Size 1-80 mm (4); 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 (7); MD (8), OH (9)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 |
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