Mealworm
Guides
Tenebrionidae
Darkling beetles, Чернотелки
Tenebrionidae is one of the largest families of beetles, with more than 20,000 described species distributed globally. Members are predominantly detritivores, consuming decaying plant matter, fungi, and lichens. The family exhibits remarkable ecological diversity, from desert sand dunes to forest floor habitats. Several species are significant pests of stored products, while others serve as important decomposers and bioindicators of ecosystem health. Notable adaptations include fog-basking behavior in desert-dwelling genera and chemical defense mechanisms in many species.
Tenebrioninae
darkling beetles (subfamily)
Tenebrioninae is the largest subfamily of darkling beetles (Tenebrionidae), containing more than 20 tribes and including economically significant species such as flour beetles (Tribolium spp.) and the yellow mealworm (Tenebrio molitor). Following a major 2021 taxonomic revision, approximately half of the former species diversity was moved to the resurrected subfamily Blaptinae. The subfamily includes both stored-product pests and species used as feeder insects for reptiles and amphibians.