Tenebrionidae Checklist: Darkling Beetles
The common name darkling beetles was derived from the Latin name Tenebrio, which meant “seeker of dark places”. While most tenebrionids are nocturnal, some are seen to be active in the day as well. Many specimens in this page exhibit an “oil-spill” effect, with a dazzling array of colours showing up when lighted up evenly. One of the key characteristics of tenebrionids is the 5-5-4 tarsal formula (although this is shared with some other families) but it is rarely seen in photos. Hence concluding on Tenebrionidae is sometimes based on the exclusion of other possible families.
Most were identified with the help from the kind folks on Flickr and Facebook, especially Boris Büche and David Ball. Thank you!
All photos are of live subjects shot in the field, with the dorsal view selected where available. Click on individual photos for larger views and views from other angles. As specimens were not collected, identifications were done purely based on photographs and may not be 100% accurate.
This page will be updated regularly, please let me know if you spot any mistakes.
View my complete Flickr photo set: Tenebrionidae – Darkling Beetles.
Characteristics
The following are some characteristics of Tenebrionidae Wikipedia.- Their 11-segmented antennae that may be filiform, moniliform or weakly clubbed
- First abdominal sternite is entire and not divided by the hind coxae
- Eyes notched by a frontal ridge
- The tarsi have four segments in the hind pair and five in the fore and mid legs (5-5-4), tarsal claws are simple
Region Filters
Click on any region to show only records from that region.
Class: Insecta Linnaeus, 1758
Order: Coleoptera Linnaeus, 1758
Family: Tenebrionidae Latreille, 1802
Singapore: Tenebrionidae DSC_0333
East Malaysia: Tenebrionidae? DSC_3802
Subfamily: Coelometopinae Lacordaire, 1859
Tribe: Coelometopini Lacordaire, 1859
Genus: Androsus Gebien, 1920
Singapore: Androsus corporaali Kulzer, 1951
Singapore: Androsus fasciolatus (Fairmaire, 1893)
Genus: Hegemona Laporte, 1840
Belize: Hegemona sp.
Genus: Phymatosoma Laporte & Brullé, 1831
Singapore: Phymatosoma rufonotatum (Pic, 1916)
Genus: Promethis Pascoe, 1869
Singapore: Promethis sp. P4107234
Singapore: Promethis sp. P5209495
Tribe: Strongyliini Lacordaire, 1859
Subfamily: Diaperinae Latreille, 1802
Tribe: Diaperini Latreille, 1802
Genus: Basides Motschulsky, 1873
Singapore: Basides batesi (Chevrolat, 1878)
Singapore: Basides diversicornis (Pic, 1916)
Singapore: Basides rubromarginatus (Chevrolat, 1878)
Singapore: Basides spp.
Genus: Ceropria Castelnau & Brullé, 1831
Singapore: Ceropria induta Wiedemann, 1819
Singapore: Ceropria cf. opulenta Harold, 1877
Singapore: Ceropria superba (Wiedemann, 1823)
Singapore: Ceropria sp.
Tribe: Leiochrinini Lewis, 1894
Singapore: Leiochrinini
Genus: Derispia Lewis, 1894
Singapore: Derispia octomaculata (Westwood, 1883)
Singapore: Derispia sp.
Genus: Pimplema Pascoe, 1887
Singapore: Pimplema hemisphaericum (Laporte 1831)
Tribe: Scaphidemini Reitter, 1922
Genus: Basanus Dejean, 1834
Singapore: Basanus sp.
Genus: Spiloscapha Bates, 1873
Singapore: Spiloscapha cf. nigrofasciata Gebien, 1925
Subfamily: Lagriinae Latreille, 1825
Singapore: Lagriinae DSC_1633
East Malaysia: Lagriinae P3137751
Tribe: Cossyphini Latreille, 1802
Genus: Endustomus Brême, 1842
Mozambique: Endustomus grandicollis (Gerstaecker, 1855)
Tribe: Lagriini Latreille, 1825
Thailand: Lagriina PB214947
Genus: Cerogria Borchmann, 1911
Thailand: Cerogria sp. PB182439
Thailand: Cerogria sp. PB214928
Genus: Statira Lepeletier & Audinet-Serville, 1828
Ecuador: cf. Statira sp. P6154200
Ecuador: Statira sp. P6067799
Subfamily: Pimeliinae Latreille, 1802
Tribe: Epitragini Blanchard, 1845
Genus: Imatismus Dejean, 1834
Mozambique: Imatismus sp.
Subfamily: Stenochiinae Kirby, 1837
Tribe: Cnodalonini Oken, 1843
Thailand: Cnodalonini PB181799
Genus: Augolesthus Motschoulsky, 1873
Singapore: Augolesthus andoi (Masumoto, 1989)
Genus: Borneocamaria Pic, 1917
East Malaysia: Borneocamaria cf. laticornis (Waterhouse, 1882)
Genus: Bradymerus Perroud, 1864
Singapore: Bradymerus sp.
Genus: Derospherus Thomson, 1848
Singapore: Derospherus sp.
Genus: Eucyrtus Pascoe, 1866
Singapore: Eucyrtus anthracinus Kraatz, 1880
Singapore: cf. Eucyrtus gloriosus Fairmaire, 1896
East Malaysia: Eucyrtus cf. pretiosus Lacordaire, 1859
Singapore: Eucyrtys sp.
Genus: Gauromaia Pascoe, 1866
East Malaysia: Gauromaia annulipes (Pic, 1921)
West Malaysia: cf. Gauromaia sp.
Genus: Hemicera Laporte & Brullé, 1831
Singapore: Hemicera sp. 9910
Genus: Malayaplamius Masumoto, 1986
East Malaysia: Malayaplamius sp. P3126793
Genus: Malaysphena Bečvář & Purchart, 2008
East Malaysia: cf. Malaysphena sp.
Genus: Phaedis Pascoe, 1866
Singapore: Phaedis sp.
Singapore: Phaedis sp.
Genus: Picocamaria Masumoto, 1993
East Malaysia: cf. Picocamaria sp. P3092367
Genus: Plamius Fairmaire, 1896
East Malaysia: Plamius pici Kulzer, 1951
Genus: Postandrosus Kulzer, 1951
Singapore: Postandrosus ater Kulzer, 1952
Genus: Pseudonautes Fairmaire, 1892
East Malaysia: Pseudonautes sp. P7073824
East Malaysia: Pseudonautes sp. P7084662
West Malaysia: Pseudonautes sp.
East Malaysia: Pseudonautes sp. P3103296
Genus: Tetragonomenes Chevrolat, 1878
Singapore: Tetragonomenes cf. subcostatus (Fairmaire, 1893)
Genus: Tetraphyllus Laporte de Castelnau & Brulle 1831
Singapore: Tetraphyllus cf. corruscus (Fairmaire, 1882)
Singapore: Tetraphyllus sp.
Tribe: Stenochiini Kirby, 1837
Genus: Bremerianus Masumoto & Becvar 2005
East Malaysia: Bremerianus baehri Masumoto, 2005
Genus: Stenochinus Motschulsky, 1860
West Malaysia: Stenochinus sp.
Singapore: Stenochinus conicus (Pic, 1921)
Genus: Strongylium Kirby, 1819
Singapore: Strongylium insigne Mäklin, 1864
Singapore: Strongylium tricondyloides (Westwood, 1875) ♀
Singapore: Strongylium tenuipes Fairmaire, 1893
East Malaysia: Strongylium sp.
Singapore: Strongylium sp. DSC_1398
East Malaysia: Strongylium sp. DSC_3807
East Malaysia: Strongylium sp. DSC_5488
East Malaysia: Strongylium sp. DSC_5830
Singapore: Strongylium sp. DSC_5204
Singapore: Strongylium sp. DSC_0675
West Malaysia: Strongylium sp. DSC_6043
Singapore: Strongylium sp. DSC_1322
Singapore: Strongylium sp. P7312774
Singapore: Strongylium sp. P5219836
West Malaysia: Strongylium sp. P4156620
West Malaysia: Strongylium sp. P4157061
Subfamily: Tenebrioninae Latreille, 1802
Tribe: Amarygmini Gistel, 1848
Genus: Amarygmus Dalman, 1823
Singapore: Amarygmus filiolus Bremer, 2002
Singapore: Amarygmus maculosus Bremer, 2002
Singapore: Amarygmus metallicus Perty, 1831
Singapore: Amarygmus metallicus Perty, 1831
Singapore: Amarygmus micans (Fabricius, 1794)
Singapore: Amarygmus nigrofasciatus Pic, 1915
Singapore: Amarygmus nigromaculatus (Pic, 1915)
Singapore: Amarygmus recordativus Bremer, 2004
Singapore: Amarygmus sanguinans Fairmaire, 1893
Singapore: Amarygmus cf. splendidulus (Fabricius, 1801)
Singapore: Amarygmus sp.
Singapore: Amarygmus sp.
Singapore: Amarygmus sp.
Singapore: Amarygmus sp.
Genus: Gonocnemis Thomson, 1858
West Malaysia: Gonocnemis sp.
Genus: Macrosynopticus Pic, 1922
Singapore: Macrosynopticus costatus Pic, 1922
Tribe: Bolitophagini Kirby, 1837
Genus: Bolitoxenus Motschoulsky, 1858
Singapore: Bolitoxenus bifurcus Pascoe, 1871
Singapore: Bolitoxenus sp.
Singapore: Boletoxenus sp.
Genus: Bolitonaeus Lewis, 1894
Singapore: Bolitonaeus vacca (Motschulsky, 1858)
Genus: Byrsax Pascoe, 1860
West Malaysia: Byrsax gibbifer (Wesmael, 1836)
Singapore: Byrsax cf. tuberculatus Gravely, 1915
Tribe: Helopini Latreille, 1802
Genus: Camptobrachys Kaszab, 1941
Singapore: Camptobrachys sp.
Tribe: Lupropini Ardoin, 1958
Genus: Anaedus Blanchard, 1842
Singapore: Anaedus sp. 8215293
Tribe: Toxicini Lacordaire, 1859
Genus: Cryphaeus Klug, 1833
Singapore: Cryphaeus gazella Fabricius, 1798
Genus: Toxicum Latreille, 1802
East Malaysia: Toxicum sp. DSC_9037
Larvae
Singapore: Tenebrionidae
Singapore: Derispia sp.
