Tenebrio obscurus

TaxID: 27449

Basic Information

Tenebrio obscurus

Dark Mealworm, Dark Mealworm Beetle, dark mealworm

Tenebrio obscurus, or the dark mealworm beetle, is a species of darkling beetle whose larvae are known as mini mealworms. These insects should not be confused with younger mealworms (Tenebrio molitor) or with the confused flour beetle (Tribolium confusum). Tenebrio obscurus larvae resemble very small mealworms. Larvae are cylindrical and initially white, darkening as they mature. Larvae can reach a length of 25 to 30 millimetres (0.98 to 1.18 in). Larvae then pupate, and later emerge as small, black beetles, 12 to 18 millimetres (0.47 to 0.71 in) long. In appearance, adults are similar to the yellow mealworm. They may have a lighter brown color or appear dull rather than shiny. Mini mealworm larvae are used as a feeder insect for birds, reptile and amphibian pets, and zoo animals. Both Tenebrio obscurus and Tenebrio molitor are being studied for their ability to biodegrade waste polystyrene products.

from Wikipedia

Taxonomic Information

Eukaryota

Arthropoda

Insecta

Coleoptera

Tenebrionidae

Tenebrio

obscurus

nan

Photos (5 photos)

Tenebrio obscurus
c
(c) NobbiP@BY-SA
Tenebrio obscurus
c
(c) Lilia Efimtseva@BY-NC
Tenebrio obscurus
c
(c) Simon Oliver@BY-NC
Tenebrio obscurus
c
(c) Simon Oliver@BY-NC
Tenebrio obscurus
c
(c) Lilia Efimtseva@BY-NC

Morphological Features

No morphological description available.

Host Plants (0 host plants)

Data sources: EPPO Global Database and relevant literature.

No host plants available.

Quarantine Status (3 records)

Data sources: IPPC website and national quarantine websites; verified by human review.

Country Status Year Added
Greece Quarantine pests —
Guatemala Absent —
Trinidad and Tobago Quarantine pests —

Distribution (35 countries)

Data Sources: EPPO Global Database and GBIF.

35
Present
0
Absent
0
Unknown/Other
Country Status State
Australia Present —
Austria Present —
Belgium Present —
Bulgaria Present —
Brazil Present —
Canada Present —
Switzerland Present —
China Present —
Germany Present —
Spain Present —
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Distribution Map (Latitude and longitude coordinates sourced from GBIF.)

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Genomes (0 records)

Data source: NCBI.

No genome records available.

Transcriptomes (0 records)

Data source: NCBI.

No transcriptome records available.

DNA Barcodes (7 records)

View all

Data source: BOLD.

Process ID BIN Marker Length Country Date Lat/Lon Sequence
PSFOR229-13 BOLD:ACD3563 COI-5P 658 France 2009-06-27 43.693, 5.791
PSFOR1538-17 - COI-5P 418 Romania 2005-07-30 43.922096, 23.6176
PSFOR1536-17 - COI-5P 418 France 2012-06-26 42.463764, 9.146213
GBMNA9724-19 BOLD:ADR5133 COI-5P 1540 - - -
GBCL66826-19 BOLD:ADR5133 COI-5P 1540 - - -
CNCCC1850-11 - COI-5P 658 United States 1968-07-07 -
CNC030-11 BOLD:AAW6453 COI-5P 658 United States 1969-08-15 -

Literature