Darkling beetles (Tenebrionidae)

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An introduction to Darkling Beetles can be found at:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darkling_beetle

Darkling beetles (Tenebrionidae)

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Discussion

MichaelMulvaney wrote:

Yesterday

Thanks Kim and criselidie

Hemicyclus punctulatus

chriselidie wrote:

8 Dec 2025

Yes, this one looks exactly like the one I saw. This was in an area where there also were some Chalcopteroides columbinus - almost didn't notice they were different beetles at first as the colour is so similar

Hemicyclus punctulatus

KimberiRP wrote:

8 Dec 2025

Not a Chalcopteroides, but the much rarer Hemicyclus punctulatus. Although the colours are similar, it can be distinguished from Chalcopteroides by the narrow flanges on the sides of the elytra and wider flanges on the sides of the pronotum. Other differences that "chriselidie" noticed are the more widely rounded shape (hence the 'cyclus' part of the name), and the lack of striae (lengthwise grooves) on the elytra.

Hemicyclus punctulatus

chriselidie wrote:

7 Dec 2025

I'm not quite convinced that this is C. cupripennis as the beetle that I saw looked rounder and doesn't have a regular linear 'dot' pattern. The dots are distributed randomly over the back. But I'm far from an expert on this, maybe the pattern can vary quite a bit?

Hemicyclus punctulatus

MichaelMulvaney wrote:

27 Oct 2025

Appears to be a western extension of known range

Homotrysis lugubris