Eleodes
Guides
Eleodes arcuata
Eleodes arcuata is a species of darkling beetle in the family Tenebrionidae, first described by Thomas Lincoln Casey in 1884. The species belongs to the genus Eleodes, a diverse group of beetles commonly known as clown beetles or desert stink beetles. Records indicate this species occurs in Mexico. Like other members of Eleodes, it is likely adapted to arid or semi-arid environments, though specific ecological details remain poorly documented.
Eleodes blanchardii
clown beetle
Eleodes blanchardii is a species of darkling beetle in the family Tenebrionidae, commonly referred to as a 'clown beetle' due to the defensive head-stand posture characteristic of the genus. It belongs to a large and diverse genus of ground-dwelling beetles found primarily in arid and semi-arid regions of North America. The species was described by Blaisdell in 1909.
Eleodes caudifera
desert stink beetle
Eleodes caudifera is a species of darkling beetle in the family Tenebrionidae, commonly referred to as a desert stink beetle. The species is native to arid regions of western North America and exhibits the defensive head-standing behavior typical of the genus Eleodes. It has been documented in sandy desert habitats, particularly in association with dune systems. The species was described by LeConte in 1858.
Eleodes dissimilis
desert stink beetle
Eleodes dissimilis is a species of desert stink beetle in the family Tenebrionidae. It was described by Blaisdell in 1909. The species belongs to the genus Eleodes, a diverse group of darkling beetles commonly known as stink beetles due to their defensive chemical secretions. Distribution records indicate presence in Mexico.
Eleodes fuchsii
Eleodes fuchsii is a darkling beetle in the family Tenebrionidae, first described by Blaisdell in 1909. As a member of the genus Eleodes, it belongs to a group commonly known as "clown beetles" or "stink beetles," recognized for their defensive posture of raising the abdomen when disturbed. The species is part of a large North American genus with over 200 described species, many of which inhabit arid and semi-arid regions.
Eleodes fusiformis
desert stink beetle, clown beetle
Eleodes fusiformis is a species of desert stink beetle in the family Tenebrionidae, described by LeConte in 1858. As a member of the genus Eleodes, it shares the characteristic defensive head-standing behavior common to clown beetles. The species is found in arid regions of western North America. Like other Eleodes species, it possesses chemical defense glands that produce noxious secretions when disturbed.
Eleodes hirsuta
Hairy Stink Beetle, Hairy Eleodes
Eleodes hirsuta is a large darkling beetle (Tenebrionidae) native to western North America, recognized by its conspicuously hairy body and defensive chemical-secreting behavior. The species belongs to the 'clown beetle' group, known for their characteristic head-stand posture when threatened. Adults are primarily nocturnal and active during warmer months in arid and semi-arid grassland habitats.
Eleodes inculta
Island Darkling Beetle
A darkling beetle in the family Tenebrionidae, known from limited observations primarily on islands. The species belongs to the diverse genus Eleodes, commonly referred to as clown beetles or stink beetles due to their defensive behaviors. Available records indicate a restricted distribution with relatively few documented observations.
Eleodes knullorum
Eleodes knullorum is a darkling beetle species in the family Tenebrionidae, described by Triplehorn in 1971. It belongs to the diverse genus Eleodes, commonly known as clown beetles or desert stink beetles. Records indicate this species occurs in Mexico. As with many Eleodes species, it likely exhibits the defensive head-stand behavior characteristic of the genus when disturbed.
Eleodes longipilosa
Eleodes longipilosa is a species of darkling beetle in the family Tenebrionidae, described by Horn in 1891. The species belongs to the large genus Eleodes, commonly known as clown beetles or stink beetles, which are characterized by their defensive head-stand posture when threatened. Specific ecological and behavioral details for E. longipilosa remain poorly documented in published literature. The species name 'longipilosa' suggests long pilosity (hairiness), though this characteristic has not been explicitly described in available sources.
Eleodes nigrina
desert stink beetle
Eleodes nigrina is a species of darkling beetle in the family Tenebrionidae, commonly referred to as a desert stink beetle. It belongs to the genus Eleodes, a group known for defensive head-stand posturing when disturbed. The species was described by LeConte in 1858. Available information on this species is limited, with few detailed ecological or behavioral studies published.
Eleodes nunenmacheri
Eleodes nunenmacheri is a species of darkling beetle in the family Tenebrionidae. It belongs to the genus Eleodes, commonly known as clown beetles or stink beetles, which are characterized by their defensive head-stand posture. The species was described by Blaisdell in 1918. Very little specific information is available for this particular species compared to more frequently encountered Eleodes species.
Eleodes obscura glabriuscula
Eleodes obscura glabriuscula is a subspecies of the widespread darkling beetle Eleodes obscura, distinguished by its relatively smoother (less setose) elytral surface compared to the nominate subspecies. As a member of the Eleodes subgenus Eleodes, it exhibits the characteristic defensive head-stand posture typical of clown beetles when threatened. The subspecies occurs in western North America and shares the general habitat preferences of E. obscura, favoring arid and semi-arid environments.
Eleodes patulicollis
Eleodes patulicollis is a species of darkling beetle in the family Tenebrionidae, described by Blaisdell in 1932. It belongs to the large genus Eleodes, commonly known as clown beetles or stink beetles, which are characterized by their defensive head-stand posture when disturbed. The species is part of a taxonomically challenging group within Eleodes where morphological similarity among species requires careful examination of pronotal and elytral characters for accurate identification. Available occurrence records are sparse, with limited observational data documented in biodiversity databases.
Eleodes pimelioides
desert stink beetle, stout darkling beetle
Eleodes pimelioides is a small species of darkling beetle in the family Tenebrionidae. It has been observed in alpine coniferous forest habitats, where it is active at night. The species is part of the diverse Eleodes genus, commonly known as desert stink beetles or clown beetles, though this particular species appears to favor cooler, higher-elevation environments rather than true desert conditions.
Eleodes rileyi
Riley's clown beetle
Eleodes rileyi is a species of clown beetle in the family Tenebrionidae. It belongs to the large genus Eleodes, which contains numerous species of darkling beetles commonly known as clown beetles or stink beetles due to their defensive head-standing behavior. The species was described by Casey in 1891. Like other members of the genus, it is presumed to exhibit the characteristic defensive posture of raising its abdomen and standing on its head when disturbed, though specific behavioral documentation for this species is limited in the provided sources.
Eleodes scabrosa
desert beetle
Eleodes scabrosa is a darkling beetle (family Tenebrionidae) native to western North America, ranging from Washington state to Mexico. The species exhibits notable habitat flexibility, occurring on temperate beaches in the northern part of its range and in desert environments farther south, with coastal preferences persisting throughout. Its black coloration and textured abdomen are characteristic of the genus Eleodes.
Eleodes versatilis
Eleodes versatilis is a species of darkling beetle in the family Tenebrionidae, first described by Blaisdell in 1921. The genus Eleodes, commonly known as clown beetles or stink beetles, is characterized by defensive head-standing behavior when disturbed. Specific information about E. versatilis is limited; the species has been recorded in taxonomic databases but detailed natural history documentation is sparse. Members of the genus are primarily nocturnal and inhabit arid and semi-arid environments across North America.
Eleodes veterator
Texas Coastal Teneb
Eleodes veterator is a species of darkling beetle in the family Tenebrionidae, commonly known as the Texas Coastal Teneb. As a member of the Eleodes genus, it shares the defensive "head stand" behavior characteristic of clown beetles, where the beetle elevates its abdomen to release defensive secretions. The species was described by Horn in 1874. Information specific to this species is limited compared to better-known congeners such as E. suturalis and E. hispilabris.
Eleodes wenzeli
Eleodes wenzeli is a species of darkling beetle (Tenebrionidae) described by Blaisdell in 1925. It belongs to the large genus Eleodes, commonly known as clown beetles or stink beetles due to their defensive head-standing behavior. The species is part of a taxonomically challenging complex within Eleodes that includes similar-looking species such as E. suturalis and E. hispilabris. Available occurrence records suggest limited documented observations, with 12 records in iNaturalist as of the data cutoff.
Eleodes wynnei
Wynne's clown beetle
Eleodes wynnei is a species of clown beetle (family Tenebrionidae) described in 2012. It belongs to the large genus Eleodes, which contains numerous species in North America commonly known as clown beetles or stink beetles due to their defensive head-stand posture. The species is named in honor of someone with the surname Wynne. As a recently described species, detailed natural history information remains limited in the published literature.