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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Beetles (Coleoptera) » Polyphaga » Series Cucujiformia » Tenebrionoidea » Darkling Beetles (Tenebrionidae) » Stenochiinae » Cnodalonini » Merinus » Merinus laevis

Species Merinus laevis

Merinus laevis, Darkling Beetle - Merinus laevis Beetle found under loose bark - Merinus laevis Darkling Beetle - Merinus laevis black beetle - Merinus laevis Black Beetle - Merinus laevis Beetle - Merinus laevis Merinus laevis (Olivier) - Merinus laevis Found in the basement - Merinus laevis
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Coleoptera (Beetles)
Suborder Polyphaga
No Taxon (Series Cucujiformia)
Superfamily Tenebrionoidea
Family Tenebrionidae (Darkling Beetles)
Subfamily Stenochiinae
Tribe Cnodalonini
Genus Merinus
Species laevis (Merinus laevis)
Explanation of Names
Merinus laevis (Olivier 1795)
laevis = 'smooth'
Size
18-26 mm(1)
Identification
Large, elytra smooth, femora wide, club-shaped; epipleura do not reach tip of elytra (unlike inAlobates)(2)


Males of Alobates have the anteriour femora thicker, almost as in Merinus females, but:
- pronotum narrower in relation to elytra, latter less subcylindrical;
- lateral bead of pronotum not concealed from dorsal view in posteriour half
(visible in anteriour half only in Merinus)
Range
e. NA (QC-FL to ON-KS-eTX) - Map (3)(1)(4), mostly e. US & s. Ont.
Habitat
under bark(3)
Remarks
comes to lights
See Also
Alobates have punctate elytral striae
Works Cited
1.Beetles of Eastern North America
Arthur V. Evans. 2014. Princeton University Press.
2.How to Know the Beetles
Ross H. Arnett, N. M. Downie, H. E. Jaques. 1980. Wm. C. Brown Publishers.
3.The Darkling Beetles of Florida and Eastern United States (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae).
Dunford et al. 2005. University of Florida Entomology and Nematology Dept., Gainesville.
4.Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
Contributed by Cotinis on 11 April, 2005 - 11:21am
Additional contributions by Mike Quinn, Boris Bueche, v belov
Last updated 22 September, 2023 - 3:56pm

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