2-5-2020 ADOR CAMPO, VALENCIA - DARKLING BEETLE (Scaurus uncinus)

Scaurus uncinus is a species of darkling beetle (Tenebrionidae) found in the Mediterranean region, particularly the Iberian Peninsula and North Africa. They are large (12–18 mm), black, flightless, and live in arid, open habitats. A notable, recent finding shows they use "brute force" to enter Messor barbarus ant nests.

Key Facts about Scaurus uncinus

Habitat and Distribution: They are common in arid and semi-arid areas, particularly in southeast Spain and parts of Morocco. They prefer open habitats and are less common in coastal plains.

Physical Characteristics:Appearance: They are black with a generally uniform, rough exterior (cuticle).

Morphology: They are large beetles with a large, rounded pronotum and elytra (wing covers) that enclose the abdomen.

Legs: They possess thick, club-shaped (mace-like) profémures (front thighs) with a strong, sharp hook on the inner side, which is used for defense or specialized behavior.Size: They typically measure 12 to 18 mm in length.

18-9-2018 TABLAS DE DAIMIEL, LA MANCHA - DARKLING BEETLE (Scaurus uncinus)

Tenebrionidae, comprising over 20,000 species in a cosmopolitan distribution.

Tenebrio is the Latin generic name that Carl Linnaeus assigned to some flour beetles in his 10th edition of Systema Naturae 1758–59.[1] The name means "lover of darkness"; the English language term 'darkling' means "characterised by darkness or obscurity";[3] see also English 'tenebrous', figuratively "obscure, gloomy."

Many Tenebrionidae species inhabit dark places; in genera such as Stenocara and Onymacris, they are active by day and inactive at night.

Tenebrionid beetles occupy ecological niches in mainly deserts and forests as plant scavengers. Most species are generalistic omnivores, and feed on decaying leaves, rotting wood, fresh plant matter, dead insects, and fungi as larvae and adults.[10] Several genera, including Bolitotherus, are specialized fungivores which feed on polypores. Many of the larger species are flightless, and those that are capable, such as T. molitor, often rarely do so.

Darkling beetle is the common name for members of the beetle family 

The larvae, known as mealworms or false wireworms, are usually fossorial, heavily sclerotized and nocturnal. They may possibly be an important resource for certain invertebrates and small mammals. Adults of many species have chemical defenses and are relatively protected against predators. Adults of most species, except grain pests, have slow metabolisms, and live long lives compared to other insects, ranging from approximately six months to two years.

Some species live in intensely dry deserts such as the Namib, and have evolved adaptions by which they collect droplets of fog that deposit on their elytra. As the droplets accumulate the water drains down the beetles' backs to their mouthparts, where they swallow it.

Humans spread some species such that they have become cosmopolitan, such as Tribolium castaneum, the red flour beetle, which was spread through grain products.