Darkling Beetles - Family Tenebrionidae

This page contains information and pictures about Darkling Beetles that we found in the Brisbane area, Queensland, Australia.



Beetles in this family are medium in size. They are usually black or brown in colour. Some are dark blue or green with metallic reflection. They are highly variable in shape and with concealed antennal insertions. Their antenna are medium length, stout, either moniliform (antenna in which the antennomeres are about as long as wide and more or less bead-like) or incrassate (antenna in which the antennomeres gradually increase in width towards the apex ). Their legs are relatively long.

Adults feed on variety of decaying materials of plants, lichens or fungal. Many occur under rocks and in leaf litter.


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Larvae live in rotten woods, in soil or scavenging on ground at night. .

Classification:

Beetles in this subfamily at least have one tarsal (leg) segment thicken. The tip antennal segment is often widen.

Beetles in this subfamily are dark colours with metallic reflections. There are nine striae on elytra (longitudinal lines on wing-cover).

Beetles in this subfamily have elongated narrow body. They have long and slender legs with combed tarsi.

Reference;
1. TENEBRIONIDAE - Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts, 2007.
2. Dictionary of Entomological Terms - Insects of Townsville, Australia by Graeme Cocks.
3. A guide to the Genera of Beetles of South Australia Part.5 - Matthews, E.G. 1987, p.6.
4. Northern Territory Insects, A Comprehensive Guide CD - Graham Brown, 2009.
5. A Guide to the Beetles of Australia - George Hangay and Paul Zborowski, CSIRO PUBLISHING April 2010, p176.
6. Classification, relationships and distribution of the genera of Cyphaleini (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) - Matthews, E.G. 1992, Invertebrate Taxonomy 6: 437-522.
7. Classification, phylogeny and biogeography of the genera of Adeliini (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) - Matthews, E.G. 1998, Invertebrate taxonomy, 12: 685-824.
8. Classification, relationships and distribution of the genera of Heleini (Coleoptera : Tenebrionidae) - E.G. Matthews, 1993, Invertebrate Taxonomy 7(5) 1025 - 1095.