Tenebrionidae
EOL Text
Animal / parasitoid / endoparasitoid
larva of Chetogena acuminata is endoparasitoid of larva of Tenebrionidae
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| Rights holder/Author | BioImages, BioImages - the Virtual Fieldguide (UK) |
| Source | http://www.bioimages.org.uk/html/Tenebrionidae.htm |
Tenebrionidae (Thysanura, Isoptera, other Tenebrionidae) is prey of:
Gerbillus
Solpugidae
Scorpiones
Araneae
Talpinae
Aporosaura
Typhlosaurus
Canis
Hyaeninae
Aves
Based on studies in:
Namibia, Namib Desert (Desert or dune)
This list may not be complete but is based on published studies.
- E. Holm and C. H. Scholtz, Structure and pattern of the Namib Desert dune ecosystem at Gobabeb, Madoqua 12(1):3-39, from p. 21 (1980).
| License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ |
| Rights holder/Author | Cynthia Sims Parr, Joel Sachs, SPIRE |
| Source | http://spire.umbc.edu/fwc/ |
Tenebrionidae (Thysanura, Isoptera, other Tenebrionidae) preys on:
Stipagrostis
Monsonia
Eragrostis
perennials
detritus
Based on studies in:
Namibia, Namib Desert (Desert or dune)
This list may not be complete but is based on published studies.
- E. Holm and C. H. Scholtz, Structure and pattern of the Namib Desert dune ecosystem at Gobabeb, Madoqua 12(1):3-39, from p. 21 (1980).
| License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ |
| Rights holder/Author | Cynthia Sims Parr, Joel Sachs, SPIRE |
| Source | http://spire.umbc.edu/fwc/ |
Trenches gather water: flying saucer trench beetle
Trenches created by the flying saucer trench beetle collect water because the edges are above the sand surface and perpendicular to fog-bearing wind.
"A third method involves uptake of free water directly from fog-moistened sand. The most elaborate procedure is used by the genus Lepidochora (Seely and Hamilton, 1976) (Fig. 3 c). These flat, circular, short-legged beetles construct a shallow trench 2-4 mm deep in the moist sand surface during fogs. The ridges of the trench, elevated above the sand surface and oriented perpendicularly to the direction of the fog-bearing wind, attain a higher water content than the undisturbed surrounding sand. The beetles then return along the trench ridge, flattening it as they extract part of this moisture." (Seely 1979:219-220)
Learn more about this functional adaptation.
- Seely MK. 1979. Irregular fog as a water source for desert dune beetles. Oecologia. 42(2): 213-227.
- Seely MK; Hamilton III WJ. 1976. Fog catchment sand trenches constructed by tenebrionid beetles, Lepidochora, from the Namib Desert. Science. 193(4252): 484-486.
| License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ |
| Rights holder/Author | (c) 2008-2009 The Biomimicry Institute |
| Source | http://www.asknature.org/strategy/40890987079e59d203d15d2ad44681e5 |
Unique antifreeze protects from extreme cold: Alaskan Upis beetle
Alaskan Upis beetles tolerate extreme cold temperatures using a complex sugar antifreeze.
"In the most northern climates, like the interior of Alaska, midwinter temperatures fall as low as minus 60 degrees Fahrenheit, and snow cover and subzero temperatures can last until May. At these extreme temperatures, most insects are bugsicles. The Alaskan Upis beetle, for example, freezes at around minus 19 degrees. But, remarkably, it can survive exposure to temperatures as low as about minus 100 degrees…a new kind of antifreeze was recently discovered in the Upis beetle by a team of researchers from the University of Notre Dame and the University of Alaska-Fairbanks. Unlike the protein antifreezes of other beetles, snow fleas and moths, the Upis antifreeze is a complex sugar called xylomannan that is as effective at suppressing ice growth as the most active insect protein antifreezes." (Carroll 2010)
Learn more about this functional adaptation.
- Sean B. Carroll. January 18, 2010. When Built-In Antifreeze Beats a Winter Coat. The New York Times. Science.
- Walters, Jr. KR; Serianni AS; Sformo T; Barnes BM; Duman JG. 2009. A nonprotein thermal hysteresis-producing xylomannan antifreeze in the freeze-tolerant Alaskan beetle Upis ceramboides. PNAS. 106(48): 20210-20215.
| License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ |
| Rights holder/Author | (c) 2008-2009 The Biomimicry Institute |
| Source | http://www.asknature.org/strategy/5797e8c7e111f7a085a852790a37d02f |
Hairy footpads aid walking on loose sand: Fennec Fox
Hairy pads or bristles on the feet of desert creatures help them move on loose sand by providing a braking mechanism as the feet push backwards.
"Soles equipped with bristles or hairy pads are also suitable for locomotion over loose sand. Many desert and steppe dwellers walk on such soft and comfortable soles; notable examples are the tarsiers, Tenebrionidae and Asilidae, the Eligmodontia mouse, the sand cat, and the fennec fox." (Tributsch 1984:73)
Learn more about this functional adaptation.
- Tributsch, H. 1984. How life learned to live. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press. 218 p.
| License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ |
| Rights holder/Author | (c) 2008-2009 The Biomimicry Institute |
| Source | http://www.asknature.org/strategy/f89b796d96244b0197cff083291afb59 |
Employing frictional devices: tenebrionid beetles
The wing locking mechanism of tenebrionid beetles prevents shifting while allowing sliding through the presence of cuticular rods and secretions.
A team of researchers led by Stanislav Gorb studied the frictional surfaces of the forewing-to-body locking mechanism in tenebrionid beetles. They observed that, in beetles, the system responsible for fixing forewings (elytra) to the body consists of 1) several macrostructures located between thorax and body and between the right and left elytra, and 2) interlocking fields of cuticle protuberances known as microtrichia. The team focused on the latter, defining the microtrichia of 13 fields in terms of length, width, density, and directionality. The team found that microtrichia of different fields varied in length, width, and shape. Microtrichia of a single field were usually oriented in one direction; this appeared to prevent shifting while the locking mechanism was employed. Epidermal secretions were thought to aid microtrichia in sliding during locking and unlocking of the two surfaces. (Courtesy of the Biomimicry Guild)
Learn more about this functional adaptation.
| License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ |
| Rights holder/Author | (c) 2008-2009 The Biomimicry Institute |
| Source | http://www.asknature.org/strategy/08ff72def6ed202577b9d6043c542bed |
Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD) Stats
Specimen Records:6107
Specimens with Sequences:3710
Specimens with Barcodes:2450
Species:722
Species With Barcodes:559
Public Records:1114
Public Species:147
Public BINs:115
Collection Sites: world map showing specimen collection locations for Tenebrionidae