Tenebrionoidea
Guides
Allopodini
Allopodini is a tribe of small beetles within the family Scraptiidae, established by Franciscolo in 1964. These insects belong to the superfamily Tenebrionoidea and are part of the diverse beetle fauna of the order Coleoptera. Members of this tribe are classified within the subfamily Scraptiinae, a group commonly known as false flower beetles or scraptiid beetles. The tribe encompasses multiple genera of generally small, inconspicuous beetles.
Anaspidinae
Anaspidinae is a subfamily of beetles in the family Scraptiidae, established by Mulsant in 1856. Members of this group are small, inconspicuous beetles that have received limited dedicated study. The subfamily is distinguished from the other scraptiid subfamily, Scraptiinae, by several morphological features. Anaspidinae is predominantly distributed in the Palearctic region, with some representation in other parts of the world.
Boridae
Conifer Bark Beetles
Boridae is a small family of tenebrionoid beetles comprising three genera: Boros (North America and northern Eurasia), Lecontia (endemic to North America), and Synercticus (Australia and New Guinea). These saproxylic beetles are strongly associated with coniferous trees, particularly standing dead pines. The family was previously classified within Salpingidae before being recognized as distinct. Despite their common name, they are not destructive forest pests but rather occupy specialized niches in dead wood decomposition.
Calopus
Calopus is a genus of beetles in the family Oedemeridae, subfamily Calopodinae. It was established by Fabricius in 1775. The genus belongs to the superfamily Tenebrionoidea within the suborder Polyphaga of Coleoptera. Species in this genus are commonly known as false blister beetles, reflecting their family-level characteristics.
Ciidae
Minute Tree-Fungus Beetles, Shelf Fungus Beetles
Ciidae, commonly known as minute tree-fungus beetles or shelf fungus beetles, are a family of small beetles within the superfamily Tenebrionoidea. Adults and larvae inhabit fruiting bodies of bracket fungi (Polyporales), particularly Polyporaceae and Corticiaceae, where they burrow inside the fungal tissue. The family is most diverse in warmer regions but has a cosmopolitan distribution extending to northern latitudes including Scandinavia. Development from egg to adult can occur in as little as two months, and some species are parthenogenetic. A few species, notably Cis chinensis, are recognized as pests of commercially dried fungi.
Lacconotus
palm and flower beetles
Lacconotus is a genus of beetles in the family Mycteridae, commonly referred to as palm and flower beetles. The genus was established by J.L. LeConte in 1862. Two species are formally recognized: L. pinicola (Horn, 1879) and L. punctatus (LeConte, 1862). The genus belongs to the subfamily Eurypinae within the superfamily Tenebrionoidea.
Malandryinae
Malandryinae is a subfamily of false darkling beetles within the family Malandryidae. Members are primarily associated with decaying wood and forest habitats. The subfamily contains numerous genera distributed across the Holarctic region, with greatest diversity in temperate forests. Adults and larvae are generally saproxylic, contributing to wood decomposition processes.
Mordella knulli
Mordella knulli is a species of tumbling flower beetle in the family Mordellidae, first described by Liljeblad in 1922. It belongs to the superfamily Tenebrionoidea and is part of the diverse genus Mordella, which contains numerous small, wedge-shaped beetles commonly associated with flowers. The species is recorded from North America, though specific details about its biology and ecology remain limited in published literature.
Mordella obliqua
Mordella obliqua is a species of tumbling flower beetle in the family Mordellidae, first described by John Lawrence LeConte in 1878. Members of this family are characterized by their wedge-shaped bodies and ability to 'tumble' when disturbed. The species is part of the superfamily Tenebrionoidea, a diverse group of beetles that includes darkling beetles and related families. Like other Mordellidae, this species likely inhabits flowers and decaying vegetation, though specific ecological details remain poorly documented.
Mordellidae
tumbling flower beetles, pintail beetles
Mordellidae is a family of beetles in the superfamily Tenebrionoidea, comprising approximately 1500 species worldwide. Adults are commonly found on flowers and are known for their distinctive escape behavior involving rapid, irregular tumbling movements. The family contains two extant subfamilies (Mordellinae and Ctenidiinae) and one fossil subfamily (Praemordellinae). Larval development occurs in diverse substrates including plant stems, wood, and fungi, with some species exhibiting predaceous or inquiline habits.
Mycetophagidae
Hairy Fungus Beetles
Mycetophagidae, commonly known as hairy fungus beetles, is a family of small beetles in the superfamily Tenebrionoidea. The family comprises approximately 200 species across 18 genera worldwide. Species range from 1.0 to 6.5 mm in length. Both larvae and adults inhabit decaying leaf litter, fungi, and subcortical environments, with most species feeding on fungi.
Mycteridae
Palm and Flower Beetles
Mycteridae is a small family of tenebrionoid beetles comprising approximately 30 genera and 160 species distributed worldwide. The family includes three subfamilies—Mycterinae, Hemipeplinae, and Eurypinae (= Lacconotinae)—which exhibit extreme morphological diversity that complicates family-level diagnosis of adults. Species occur across temperate and tropical regions of both hemispheres, with about 20 species in Australia and representatives of three genera (*Mycterus*, *Hemipeplus*, *Lacconotus*) in North America. The family has been recently referred to as "palm and flower beetles" by some authors.
Nematoplus
Nematoplus is a genus of false longhorn beetles in the family Stenotrachelidae, established by J.L. LeConte in 1855. The genus is classified within the subfamily Nematoplinae and contains at least three described species: N. collaris (LeConte, 1855), N. konoi, and N. yamato. Members of this genus are part of the small family Stenotrachelidae, which is placed in the superfamily Tenebrionoidea.
Notoxinae
Monoceros beetles
Notoxinae is a subfamily of beetles in the family Anthicidae, commonly known as monoceros beetles. Members of this group are small, elongate beetles with distinctive antennal morphology. The subfamily was established by Stephens in 1829 and contains multiple genera distributed across various regions. These beetles are part of the diverse Tenebrionoidea superfamily, which includes many fungus-feeding and detritivorous species.
Orchesiini
false darkling beetles
Orchesiini is a tribe of false darkling beetles within the family Melandryidae, established by Mulsant in 1856. The tribe contains at least three genera—Orchesia, Microscapha, and Lederia—with approximately seven described species. These beetles are classified in the superfamily Tenebrionoidea and are part of the diverse assemblage of darkling beetle relatives. Members of Orchesiini are small to medium-sized beetles found primarily in forested habitats where they occur in association with decaying wood and fungi.
Scotochroa
Scotochroa is a genus of beetles in the family Melandryidae, established by John Lawrence LeConte in 1874. The genus belongs to the order Coleoptera and is part of the diverse assemblage of darkling beetles and related groups within Tenebrionoidea. Records indicate presence in the northeastern United States, particularly Vermont. The genus name has been historically confused with moth species epithets, leading to taxonomic disambiguation challenges.
Scotochroa basalis
Basal False Darkling Beetle
Scotochroa basalis is a species of false darkling beetle in the family Melandryidae, first described by John Lawrence LeConte in 1874. It is known from western and central Canada, with confirmed records in Alberta, British Columbia, and Newfoundland. The species is rarely encountered, with only five observations documented on iNaturalist as of the available data. Like other members of Melandryidae, it likely inhabits forested environments where it develops in decaying wood.
Scraptia
false flower beetles
Scraptia is a genus of false flower beetles in the family Scraptiidae, comprising more than 20 described species. The genus was established by Latreille in 1806 and is distributed primarily in the western Palaearctic region, with records from Scandinavia, Turkey, and Greece. Recent taxonomic work has clarified nomenclatural issues, including synonymies and lectotype designations for several species. The genus is part of the superfamily Tenebrionoidea within the suborder Polyphaga.
Scraptiidae
False Flower Beetles
Scraptiidae is a small family of beetles in the superfamily Tenebrionoidea, commonly known as false flower beetles. The family was established by Gistel in 1848. These beetles are frequently mistaken for members of the related family Mordellidae due to their similar appearance. The family has a broad distribution with records from Europe and North America, and is represented by over 10,000 observations on iNaturalist, indicating they are commonly encountered despite their modest taxonomic diversity.
Stenotrachelus
false longhorn beetles
Stenotrachelus is a monotypic genus of false longhorn beetles in the family Stenotrachelidae, containing the single described species Stenotrachelus aeneus. The genus was established by Berthold in 1827. Members of this genus belong to the superfamily Tenebrionoidea and are classified within the subfamily Stenotrachelinae. The family Stenotrachelidae is a small group of beetles sometimes referred to as false longhorn beetles due to their superficial resemblance to cerambycids.
Synchroidae
synchroa bark beetles
Synchroidae is a small family of tenebrionoid beetles containing three extant genera: Mallodrya (monotypic, North America), Synchroa (five species, North America and Asia), and Synchroina (two species, Oriental region). The family has been historically confused with Melandryidae but was established as independent based on larval morphology and adult characters. Members are elongate, slightly flattened beetles with brownish to black coloration, ranging 10–16 mm in length.
Tetratomidae
polypore fungus beetles
Tetratomidae is a small family of beetles in the superfamily Tenebrionoidea, commonly known as polypore fungus beetles. The family was historically classified within Melandryidae but is now recognized as distinct based on larval and adult morphological characters. Members are found worldwide and are specialized consumers of fungal fruiting bodies. The family includes several extant genera as well as fossil genera from Cretaceous amber deposits.
Zopheridae
Ironclad beetles
Zopheridae is a family of beetles in the superfamily Tenebrionoidea, commonly known as ironclad beetles. The family has expanded considerably in recent years to include the former families Monommatidae and Colydiidae as subfamilies or tribes. It comprises approximately 190 genera and 1700 species distributed worldwide. Members are characterized by exceptionally hardened exoskeletons that make specimens difficult to pin for collection. The family includes diverse feeding habits, with many species associated with rotting wood or fungus, while some Colydiinae are predatory or feed on living plant tissue.