Page 2 · Darkling Beetles (Tenebrionidae) - 649 Species, Identification & Facts

Platydema erythrocera

Identification: our only sp. with horns (on males) and dull integument

Platydema nigrata

Identification: antennomeres 1‒4 & 11 light reddish brown, the rest much darker ( P. erythrocera may have this scheme, too)

Platydema ruficornis

Identification: opaque; dorsum black to piceous, unmarked; appendages & venter ferrugineous comes to lights; very common

Platydema sexnotata

Identification: P. sexmaculatum Chevrolat is similar (and possibly conspecific) (Champion 1884) 2 specimens coll'ed by Brian Raber at the Sabal Palm Sanctuary , Brownsville, TX 7.viii.2010 • one spmn from Tamaulipas, MEX. in TAMUIC ( 3 ) • Warren Ste

Platydema teleops

Platydema teleops (Platydema teleops) is a species in the family Tenebrionidae, commonly known as darkling beetles, belonging to the order Coleoptera (Beetles). It is classified within the subfamily Diaperinae, tribe Diaperini, suborder Polyphaga, su

Prionychus ater

Length 12 to 14 mm. Dull appearance, head and pronotum densely and coarsely punctured. Prionychus melanarius is 10 to 12mm long with a shiny appearance with head & pronotum sparsely punctured. Good quality photographs and size of specimen required. N

Pseudocistela ceramboides

Length 9 to13mm this distinctively shaped beetle has yellow-brown elytra, but is otherwise mainly black. Usually in well wooded areas where adults may be found on blossoms or decaying wood. This is a southern English species, with an occasional recor

Rhipidandrus paradoxus

Rhipidandrus paradoxus (Rhipidandrus paradoxus) is a species in the family Tenebrionidae, commonly known as darkling beetles, belonging to the order Coleoptera (Beetles). It is classified within the subfamily Tenebrioninae, tribe Bolitophagini, subor

Sitophagus hololeptoides

Identification: male head is horned A minor pest; can give a bad smell to the stored goods.

Statira basalis

Identification: Piceous, shining, elytra with distinct metallic blue lustre, legs piceous, the femora at base and coxae testaceous. Thorax not longer than wide, sides feebly arcuate, base slightly explanate. last key couplet: Thorax polished, the pun

Statira croceicollis

Identification: Head black, thorax reddish; setigerous punctures of elytra numerous ( 3 ) , elytra with a distinct bluish lustre ( 4 ) Det. Blaine Mathison, 2013

Statira dolera

Identification: Legs paler than in S. basalis , terminal antennal segment as long as five (male) or three (female) preceding segments; segment 10 longer than wide in male (vs. slightly transverse) Elytra paler along suture may also be an indication.

Statira erina

Identification: the dark anteriorly truncate pronotum is diagnostic. males have the longer apical antennal segments Type Locality: Brownwood Lake State Park, Brown County, TEXAS, A. & M. E. Blanchard, , 9-10-IV-1969.

Statira hirsuta

Identification: Reddish brown, elytra and abdomen piceous black, opaque, elytra shining.

Statira liebecki

Identification: Head and thorax reddish; setigerous punctures of elytra few, 9.5 mm. rufous, legs testaceous, abdomen piceous, elytra black with metallic bluish-green lustre

Statira pulchella

common in Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico (Champion, 1889-1893)

Statira robusta

Identification: larger and more robust than any of our known species female apical antennal segment equal to next 2.5-3 segments, in male equal to next 3.75-4.3 segments; brown to piceous black, head blackish Type Locality: Globe, Gila Co., Arizona

Stenomorpha vigens

Identification: Elytral apices "expanded posteriorly and reflexed upward"

Stenomorpha wickhami

Identification: Differs from others in the furcata group by a dense coating of short light brown hairs dorsally, ventrally, and on the legs, also a weakly crenulated elytral base

Strongylium aulicum

Strongylium aulicum (Strongylium aulicum) is a species in the family Tenebrionidae, commonly known as darkling beetles, belonging to the order Coleoptera (Beetles). It is classified within the subfamily Stenochiinae, tribe Stenochiini, suborder Polyp

Strongylium championi

most recent prior known collection in TX: 1947 ( 3 ) Texas considers this a SGCN ( 4 )

Strongylium crenatum

Identification: Uniformly brownish, including uniformly-colored antennae. Pronotum does not have distinct margin, but has crenate edges. Det. Patrick Coin, 2011

Strongylium hemistriatum

Identification: Easily distinguished from all other Strongylium in our area by unusual elytral striae which are described as being "sulcate on posterior half but not on anterior"

Strongylium tenuicolle

a rare variation with bright red/orange legs occurs in se. US (NC-FL-MS)

Talanus langurinus

Talanus langurinus (Talanus langurinus) is a species in the family Tenebrionidae, commonly known as darkling beetles, belonging to the order Coleoptera (Beetles). It is classified within the subfamily Stenochiinae, tribe Talanini, suborder Polyphaga,

Talanus mecoscelis

Type series coll. at Brownsville, Texas in 1934, 1937, and 1939 by D. J. and J. N. Knull. (Triplehorn 1968) Texas considers this a SGCN ( 5 )

Dark Mealworm

Tenebrio obscurus

Identification: dorsum dull (unlike in T. molitor ), front legs enlarged in males storage pest

Texaponium triplehorni

Texas considers this a "Species of Greatest Conservation Need" (SGCN)

American Black Flour Beetle

Tribolium audax

Identification: similar to, and sometimes confused with, T. madens , a sp. of European origin also present in NA

Confused Flour Beetle

Tribolium confusum

Identification: see Probably the most serious pest of the genus Tribolium and one of the most economically important beetles These beetles aggregate. At intermediate levels they are randomly distributed. With heavy infestations they are uniformly dis

False Black Flour Beetle

Tribolium destructor

Identification: images: 1 | 2 | 3 similar in appearance to T. confusum ; darker than other Tribolium spp. earliest record in our area: 1937

Black Flour Beetle

Tribolium madens

Identification: robust, shiny black to blackish brown images: 1 | 2 earliest record in our area: before 1897?

Tribolium setosum

Tribolium setosum (Tribolium setosum) is a species in the family Tenebrionidae, commonly known as darkling beetles, belonging to the order Coleoptera (Beetles). It is classified within the subfamily Tenebrioninae, tribe Triboliini, suborder Polyphaga

Trichoton sordidum

Identification: apically bent protibia is a distinctive characteristic

Tyrtaeus rufus

In spite of small size, easily seen when present because its bright reddish color reflects like a garnet when the light hits it

Uloma impressa

Identification: apical antennomere rounded at tip; elytral intervals rather densely punctulate, middle plate of mentum elongate-oval (not transverse, as in U. punctulata or U. imberbis )

Uloma punctulata

Identification: profemora grooved inside for the entire length, apical antennomere rounded at tip, elytral striae deeply punctate, intervals slightly convex and minutely, sparsely punctulate; middle plate of mentum oval, transverse

Uloma retusa

"We have had it from the southeast coast for several years. Yours was the first from the west coast and the first of the red-pronotum color form." --M.C. Thomas, 2012

Ulomina carinata

Ulomina carinata (Ulomina carinata) is a species in the family Tenebrionidae, commonly known as darkling beetles, belonging to the order Coleoptera (Beetles). It is classified within the subfamily Tenebrioninae, tribe Triboliini, suborder Polyphaga,

Ulus maritimus

Ulus maritimus (Ulus maritimus) is a species in the family Tenebrionidae, commonly known as darkling beetles, belonging to the order Coleoptera (Beetles). It is classified within the subfamily Blaptinae, tribe Opatrini, suborder Polyphaga, superfamil