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

Family Tenebrionidae - Darkling Beetles

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

Bolitophagus corticola? - Bolitophagus corticola

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)

Other Common Names

Larvae are called 'false wireworms'

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

Alleculidae; Lagriidae

NA fauna catalogued in (1)

Blaptinae reinstated in (2)

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. total(3)(4)(5); ca. 225 spp. east of the Mississippi River(6) and almost 5 times as many in the West(1) [~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 Eschatoporiini Eschatoporis

Tribe Goniaderini Anaedus

Tribe Belopini Adelonia · Rhypasma

Tribe Prateini Paratenetus · Prateus

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 · *Emmenides · *Eremocantor · 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 · Tenebrio · Zophobas

Tribe Centronopini Centronopus · Scotobaenus

Tribe Alphitobiini Alphitobius

Tribe Metaclisini Metaclisa

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

Tribe Ulomini Eutochia · Uloma

Tribe Helopini Doyenellus · Helops · Nalassus · Nautes · *Neohelops · Tarpela

Tribe Amarygmini Cymatothes · Meracantha

Tribe Cerenopini Argoporis · Cerenopus

Tribe Eulabini Apsena · Epantius · Eulabis

Tribe Apocryphini Apocrypha

Tribe Melanimonini Cheirodes

Subfamily BLAPTINAE

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

Tribe Blaptini Blaps

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

Tribe Pedinini • Subtribe Platynotina Asiopus • Subtribe Leichenina Leichenum

Subfamily ALLECULINAE

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

Subfamily DIAPERINAE

Tribe Diaperini Subtribe Adelinina Adelina · Alphitophagus · Cynaeus · Doliodesmus · Gnatocerus · Iccius · Sitophagus • Subtribe Diaperina Ceropria · 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 · Bouchardandrus · Cibdelis · Coelocnemis · Glyptotus · Haplandrus · Iphthiminus · Merinus · Oenopion · Polopinus · Polypleurus · Upis · Xylopinus

Tribe Stenochiini Oploptera · Strongylium

Tribe Talanini Talanus

Size

1‒80 mm(3)

Identification

One of the most diverse animal families. Many large species are flightless and have fused elytra. Larvae are cylindrical and hard-bodied.

Range

worldwide and throughout NA, much more diverse in the west

Habitat

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

Food

decaying plant material of all kind; some feed on fungus, often under bark; some are pests of stored grain and/or insect collections.

Remarks

Many have chemical defenses

Works Cited

1.	Catalogue of Tenebrionidae (Coleoptera) of North America Yves Bousquet, Donald B. Thomas, Patrice Bouchard, Aaron D. Smith, Rolf L. Aalbu, M. Andrew Johnston, Warren E. Steiner Jr. 2018. ZooKeys 728: 1-455.

2.	Reevaluation of Blapimorpha and Opatrinae: addressing a major phylogeny-classification gap in darkling beetles (Coleoptera: ...) Kamiński M.J., Lumen R., Kanda K., Iwan D., Johnston M.A., Kergoat G.J., Bouchard P., Bai X.L., Li X.M., Ren G.D., Smith A.D. 2021. Syst. Entomol. 46: 140–156.

3.	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.

4.	Smith A.D. tenebrioniDBase

5.	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.

6.	The Darkling Beetles of Florida and Eastern United States

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.

Contributed by Troy Bartlett on 16 February, 2004 - 12:32pm
Additional contributions by cotinis, Stephen_WV, Beatriz Moisset, Phillip Harpootlian, Chris Wirth, Bbarnd, Mike Quinn, v belov, Edward Ruden, Marci Hess
Last updated 15 April, 2025 - 11:59am

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