COLEOPTERA: Tenebrionidae

Members of the family Tenebrionidae are commonly called darkling beetles. There are roughly 20,00 species known worldwide. The scientific name roughly translates to “lover of darkness.” Many species inhabit dark places (such as under wood or stones).

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Bolitotherus cornutus Panzer, 1794. The specimen depicted in these photographs was collected by our former member, Gordon Adams, in 1962 (Peoria Co.). The common name for this insect is the horned fungus beetle. All life stages are associated with the shelf fungus (Ganoderma). This beetle species is sexually dimorphic (males have two pairs of horns; females lack these horns). Although adults are most active at night, they are frequently found on the underside of the fungus. These beetles hibernate through the winter months in central Illinois. The fungus is necessary for beetle reproduction.

Fun fact – these beetles are able to detect the breath of mammals (which try to feed on them), and produce a volatile gas to repel these predators.