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Darkling beetle is the common name for members of the beetle family Tenebrionidae, comprising over 20,000 species in a cosmopolitan distribution.
Learn about darkling beetles, a family of beetles with more than 20,000 species worldwide. Find out how they eat, live, reproduce and are used as feed for animals.
Darkling beetle, (family Tenebrionidae), any of approximately 20,000 species of insects in the order Coleoptera so named because of their nocturnal habits. These beetles tend to be short and dark; some, however, have bright markings.
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Most darkling beetles look similar to ground beetles, black or brown and smooth. They're often found hiding under rocks or leaf litter and will come to light traps. Darkling beetles are primarily scavengers. The larvae are sometimes called false wireworms because they look like click beetle larvae (which are known as wireworms). Though the Tenebrio...
Kingdom: AnimaliaPhylum: ArthropodaClass: InsectaOrder: ColeopteraMost darkling beetles (adults and larvae) scavenge on plant matter of some kind, including stored grains and flour. Some species feed on fungi, dead insects, or even dung.
Like all beetles, darkling beetles undergo complete metamorphosis with four stages of development: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. Female darkling beetles deposit their eggs in the soil. Larvae are worm-like, with slender, elongated bodies. Pupation usually occurs in the soil.
When disturbed, many darkling beetles will emit a foul-smelling liquid to dissuade predators from dining on them. Members of the genus Eleodes engage in a somewhat bizarre defensive behavior when threatened. Eleodesbeetles raise their abdomens high in the air, so they almost appear to be standing on their heads, while fleeing the suspected danger.
Darkling beetles live worldwide, in both temperate and tropical habitats. The family Tenebrionidae is one of the largest in the beetle order, with well over 15,000 species known. In North America, darkling beetles are most diverse and abundant in the west. Scientists have described 1,300 western species, but only around 225 eastern Tenebrionids.
Darkling Beetle Fact Sheet, Woodland Park ZooBorror and Delong's Introduction to the Study of Insects, 7th Edition, by Charles A. Triplehorn and Norman F. JohnsonJul 26, 2024 · Learn about darkling beetles, a diverse family of beetles that can be pests in gardens, grains, and poultry. Find out how to identify, prevent, and manage them organically.
6 days ago · 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.
Sep 14, 2023 · Learn about darkling beetles, one of the largest and most diverse families of beetles, with over 20,000 species. Discover their life cycle, physical characteristics, habitat, and how they decompose organic matter and support the food web.
