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Darkling beetles (Tenebrionidae) are a huge family of dull-colored, ground-dwelling beetles, known as "stink beetles" for their defensive headstands that spray foul odors; they are adaptable scavengers in dry climates, use their hard elytra for water collection, and their larvae are popular mealworms, making them important in ecosystems and as pet food.
Key Characteristics & Behaviors
Appearance: Usually black or brown, dull, hard, and robust; vary in size but often oval-shaped with 11-segmented antennae.
Defense: Can spray noxious chemicals (like a skunk), play dead (thanatosis), or lock legs into grooves to resist predators.
Water Adaptation: Some species, like the Blue Death Feigning Beetle, have waxy coatings to retain water and can even produce water metabolically.
Habitat: Found globally, thriving in dry, desert, and forest environments, often under rocks or debris, but also in stored grains.
Diet: Primarily scavengers, eating decaying plant matter, fungi, dead insects, and sometimes living plants when abundant.
