Tenebrio

Tenebrio is a genus of darkling beetles. Adults are long and can live for 1–2 years. The larvae are minor pests, but they are also widely reared and sold as pet food.

Species

The genus contains the following extant species:

• Tenebrio culinaris
• Tenebrio guineensis
• Tenebrio giganteus
• Tenebrio grandicollis
• Tenebrio molitor – yellow mealworm
• Tenebrio obscurus – dark mealworm
• Tenebrio opacus
• Tenebrio patrizii
• Tenebrio punctipennis
• Tenebrio zairensis

Four species are known from fossils found in Germany and Canada:

• Tenebrio calculensis - (Pleistocene, Leda Clay, Canada)
• Tenebrio effossus - (Oligocene, Rott Formation, Germany)
• Tenebrio primigenius - (Ypresian, Allenby Formation, Canada)
• Tenebrio senex - (Oligocene, Rott Formation, Germany)

Gallery

References