Genus Tenebrio - Mealworm beetles

Classification · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Explanation of Names · Numbers · Remarks · Print References · Works Cited

large brown tenebrionid - Tenebrio molitor

Yellow Mealworm Beetle pupa (Tenebrio molitor) - Tenebrio

Yellow Mealworm Beetle larval and pupal stages (Tenebrio molitor) - Tenebrio

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)

Subfamily Tenebrioninae

Tribe Tenebrionini

Genus Tenebrio (Mealworm beetles)

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

Tenebrio Linnaeus, 1758

Explanation of Names

Latin "one who loves darkness, a trickster". In turn tenebrio is from Latin tenebrae, darkness (1) (2).

Numbers

See Remarks.

Remarks

Two species in North America only*.

Both are mainly found in buildings and storage, but may also occur in hollow trees, their natural habitat.

*: Nearctica lists four species, but in error. T.picipes has been transferred to Neatus (and probably does occur in Europe only), T.olivensis is an African species, now also transferred to a genus quite remote from Tenebrio.

Print References

Borror, entry for tenebrio (1)

The Century Dictionary--entries for tenebrio, tenebrionidae (2)

Works Cited

1.	Dictionary of Word Roots and Combining Forms By Donald J. Borror

2.	The Century Dictionary: an encyclopedic lexicon of the English language

Contributed by Eric R. Eaton on 9 November, 2005 - 3:04pm
Additional contributions by cotinis, Boris Bueche
Last updated 21 November, 2009 - 3:44am

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